Sangreal
by Riddler-of-Words
Summary: A second ago I was living my normal life. The next, I was in an alleyway, two people chasing me with the intent to kill me. But, somehow, I'd given them the fate that was meant for me. How I'd done it, I wasn't sure, but I was about to find out. SasuSaku
1. One

So I have stopped writing my stories for awhile. I realized that I had to no clue where my stories were going and I decided to think about it and write out my ideas. I think I have a better hold on what I will write about now and if anyone has any suggestions then please feel free to tell me them cause I appreciate you taking some of your time to give me feedback. Now, on with the story! (Cues curtain rising) hehe

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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**Enjoy**

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_The sky darkened as thunder started to rumble in the distance. Clouds rapidly filled the sky and silence filled the air, which crackled with energy._

_Ten tall pillars circled a large patch of dead land. The grass was long gone leaving only ashen dirt in its place. On each pillar was an iris, the All Seeing Eye. All of them faced towards the center of the circle like guardians over their prisoner._

_A hooded figure stood just outside the circle, his hand holding a silver dagger. Silently he drew the dagger across his palm, causing blood to flow from the new wound. Walking towards the closest pillar he drew the evilest symbol on it._

_The upside down cross._

_Continuing to the next one he drew the same thing on that one. After every pillar had the upside down cross in blood on it the hooded figure returned to his spot and started to chant._

_"Αύξηση δική μου Κυβερνήτης—" the hooded figure's voice rose in volume with each chant. Translated, it meant 'rise my master'. The roar of the thunder in the distance drowned the chant out. The wind picked up, forewarning the incoming storm's fast arrival. Forks of electricity touched the ground around the hooded figure, but never inside the ring of pillars._

_The ground inside the pillar started to shake, the rocks shifting and rolling around. Mounds of earth were heaved up by an unseen force. The hooded figure's voice somehow came through the roar of thunder as he screamed with all his might._

_Crack. Shift. Rise._

_A hand shot out of the ground, its nails caked in dirt from hundreds of years of being surrounded by it. The hand twitched for a moment before it dug its figures into the ground. Slowly the hand rose to reveal an arm, then a shoulder. A pile of dirt was pushed aside as a head finally came to the surface._

_"Master, I am here to serve." Pure black eyes stared up from the head, directly at the hooded figure. A smile appeared on his face as his face twisted up into a wicked laugh, his silver hair curtaining around his face to give him a look of pure evil._

_He looked skyward just as a bright flash of lighting struck right where he was. A second later, when the light had cleared, he was gone._

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1.

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I awoke with a start, my heart still pounding from my dream. What was that about? Not only had I been having these weird dreams since my twentieth birthday, but they had recently been coming into my conscious moments too.

The sheets started to get too hot and I pushed them off my legs, seeking cool air. My thoughts drifted off as I absent mindlessly ran my hand through my pink hair. Strands laid around my shoulders and face, creating a pink halo in the dark.

"What is wrong with me?" I whispered to myself, trying to figure out for the hundredth time why I was having these dreams. The only thing I could come up with was some stage of my life that I was going through. Maybe it was like puberty only mentally? Not only did that sound creepy, but it sounded like I was going mentally insane, one dream at a time.

As my body cooled down and my heart finally came to a slow throb my eyes started to drift close again. I welcomed the sweet darkness as my eyes closed and my mind stopped working.

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_The grass rushed by, its tips tickling me as I ran. My laughter rang through the meadow as I played, my hands lifted to the sky as I twirled. My pink hair trailed behind me as the wind blew my sundress every which way._

_I stopped and looked back at my father. He motioned for me to come over to him and I ran happily to where he sat on a rock. Once I was standing in front of him, he slowly brought up his hand, his fingers uncurling to reveal a yellow daisy._

_"It's so pretty! Thank you Daddy!"_

_He smiled down at me, caressing my hair as I climbed up onto his lap. My little hands held the flower as if it was the most fragile thing in the world as I stared at it._

_"Sakura, there is something important you need to know…," Toyushi Haruno said as his sorrowful eyes looked down at me._

_"Daddy, it's so yello—DADDY!" I screamed as my father's face started to fade. I fell off his lap and sat there, tears running down my face._

_The world around me turned to black, the daisy the only colorful thing remaining besides me. The world around me almost looked like a dull black, like a black cloth draped over a light. Little threads of light shone around me and slowly the world started to take on more color. The meadow started to form again, only my father wasn't there this time. The rock where he had say was empty, without his presence the meadow felt cold, empty._

_I slowly got up, the daisy clutched tightly in my hand. I clung on to it, the last reminder of my father and the once wonderful meadow._

_Slowly the river at the edge of the meadow turned black, the rest of the world following it. The sky turned dark, stars appearing as a moon rose to the center of the sky. The grass took on a dark tint and the forest formed shadows._

_Slowly I walked over to the river and gasped. The river was like a mirror, reflecting the sky and the stars. I leaned farther over the river, trying to see more of the world's reflection._

_My own reflection stared back at me, along with two dark black eyes and a pale face._

_The reflection slowly smiled cruelly._

_Whipping around, my heart pounded as I looked around the empty meadow, trying to find where the source of the eyes was coming from. Glad that I didn't find anything and just thinking it was my imagination I turned back around. Glancing back at my reflection in the mirror, I tried to calm myself when I saw only myself_

_"Sakura, my little blossom…."_

_I whipped around again, only to be met with the same cold black eyes. A scream tore from my mouth as I took a step backwards. I felt my foot slip on the river's bank and before I could regain my balance I felt myself fall backwards into empty air._

_Cold water surrounded me. Ice prickled my skin and water filled my lungs as I tried to breathe. My body sunk downwards to an unknown place. I tried to get my arms to move but they refused to move, my legs refusing to kick me towards life. The world blurred around me as I slowly surrendered to the blackness._

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A light buzzing rang through the room as my eyes blinked open. I could hear the birds outside chirping their morning calls, and as much as the sound was pretty, it was also annoying.

My head spun as I sat up, my hand reaching for the alarm clock. Quickly turning it off, I got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, starting up the shower. As I got in, the water soothed my muscles and gave me time to think.

Why was I suddenly dreaming of my Dad? The last time I had dreamed of him was when he and my mom had died thirteen years ago.

Thirteen years. Why had they died, out of all the people in the world? There were so many worse people out there that had wasted their lives away and didn't deserve second chances. I felt my eyes tear up as I remembered that night. It had all been a blur and I couldn't remember anything. None of the police officers would tell me what had happened or how they had died, but I bet they didn't know themselves. The scene had been blown to shreds and everyone had been surprised that I had survived. It was a freak accident, even if they wouldn't say it to my face I knew they were all thinking it.

_Stop it, don't be a crybaby,_ I told myself sternly with a deep breath.

I quickly stopped thinking and pushed the tears away. Why was I crying? It had been thirteen years and I was doing fine, so no need for drama and a breakdown.

The water ran down my back and I immediately felt soothed by it. For some reason water had always felt comforting to me. While I was in high school I had been on the swim team and had always looked forward to practice. It may sound weird but the water made me feel empowered but at the same time made me feel safe.

I laughed at the train of my thoughts as I finished my shower. Who thought about water at eight-thirty in the morning? Clearly I was going a little whacked out in the brain, but it was probably just the lack of sleep.

Getting out I looked in the mirror as I combed out my hair. The pink strands stuck to my neck and back and my green eyes were a little dull from the lack of sleep. Walking into my room I put on a bra and panties before I slid on some jeans. I grabbed a random shirt which was lying on the back of my desk chair and slid it over my head.

"What time is it?" Mumbling to myself I glanced at the clock. Great I was going to have to skip breakfast again. I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day but seriously, who has the time in the morning? If someone had to choose between sleeping in and eating breakfast, I'm pretty sure sleeping in would win by a land slide. Going into the bathroom and brushing my teeth came next then I was out the door, shouldering my bag as I approached the elevator.

Ding.

The doors opened when I was only half way down the hallway. Two strangers stepped out that I had never seen before. Both had long silver hair and pure black eyes. They looked like fallen angels and rejected devils all at once.

"Hello." I greeted them as I got closer, a smile on my face. My smile faltered as they looked at my from under their lashes, not saying hi back. It seemed like slow motion as they walked by, them staring at me till I stepped into the elevator. They turned back around, their silver hair falling down their back, and continued to walk down the hall. Finally the elevator doors closed and the sight of the odd people disappeared from my sight.

Ding.

I walked out of the elevator and greeted the doorman as I went out of the door. Ahh Yokohama, my hometown. The city was huge and consisted of over five different universities. It had been hard to pick but I had finally chosen the one I was currently going to. I looked up at the sky and sighed as I saw the clouds approaching. Although I was tempted to go back up to my apartment and pick up my coat, I knew I didn't have time. I hurried across the street, careful of the cars of course, and towards the university.

"Please don't rain, please don't rain, please don't rain…" I muttered to myself as the wind started to pick up. I could feel the air moisten as the clouds settled overhead. Finally I made it to the university just as the rain started to sprinkle. Five minutes later it was pouring as I looked out from the window of my course classroom.

As the class dragged on I started to drift off into a daydream. I imagined myself home sleeping, the soft pitter-patter of rain soothing me into a deep sleep. I could almost smell the rain is I lay there in my bed, all warm and comfy. As much as I wanted to just walk out of the class I couldn't, unfortunately, or else I'd fail.

My thoughts drifted off into other ideas. Slowly I faded into a daydream of war and glory. It was weird since I rarely ever daydreamed about things like that, not that I daydreamed much unless in class, but I found myself wielding a katana and wearing armor.

_I was standing on a hill, staring down at the battlefield and watching my country fight. Feelings of courageousness and fear ran through my at once, the feelings almost real._

_The next second I was on a pure white horse and was racing into the battlefield, the one I had just been looking down on. I glanced to my left and right at my comrades. Under my helmet I nodded to them and whipped my katana forward, signaling for us to ride to either our glory or our deaths. I faintly heard a screaming noise and realized it was my own war cry, blending in with my comrades' around me. Their various weapons were also raised, ready to attack._

_The sun shone off my katana and blinded me for a minute. As my vision cleared I saw I was almost to the battlefield. Blood was everywhere, along with mutated bodies from both sides._

_As I got closer and closer I felt a surge run through me and I felt the scene shift._

_I was standing in front of a large pool of water in the middle of the night. I could hear the crickets chirping and could feel the moonlight on my skin. In my mind I stepper closer to the surface of the liquid glass I realized what I was going to do._

_I tried to stop myself in my mind but my foot reached out and touched the surface. I was going to sink and drown, in my own mind, how pathetic. As my weight shifted onto that foot I expected my leg to sink into the water, but my foot connected with a solid surface. Looking down I realized I was still standing on the water, but it was almost like cold cement rather than water._

_The surface was cool under my feet and wet. My feet advanced without me thinking and I soon found myself in the middle of the pool. The sound of a waterfall in the distance made my eyes droop and before I knew it they were closed all the way. I felt that strange surge around me again but didn't acknowledge it. The feeling got stronger until it felt like there was a humming in my veins. It didn't hurt but felt oddly familiar._

_I felt the wind shift around me and I slowly opened my eyes. Lazily I looked around me till my mind started to click._

_There was a dome of water around me, creating an encasing ball of liquid. The moonlight still shone through the water but made it seem like I was underwater. I reached out slowly towards the wall of water. My heart raced even though I knew it was just a daydream, and an odd one at that._

_Cool and wet was the sensation that met my hand._

_"What the. . .?" the words escaped my mouth before I could stop them._

_I continued to stare at the dome of water, breathing in moist air. I wondered how the air got into this pocket of water, but quickly pushed it to the back of my mind, not wanting to jinx myself and suddenly suffocate. I could feel the mist making my hair curl and frizz around my face and neck. Great, even in my mind I was having a bad hair day, typical._

_Still caught up in astonishment at the sight I screeched as a hand grabbed my ankle. A searing icy coldness spread from the hand into my ankle and up my leg. At first the water continued to support me and keep me above the surface but another hand clasped onto my other ankle, spreading more icy coldness up my other leg. The icy coldness spread up both legs into my chest and erupted in pain._

_My solid surface under me vanished and the water went back to being liquid. I felt myself being jerked under the water and as I struggled to fight the pain in my chest and reach the surface again I saw the thing that had yanked me under._

_All I could make out of it was the black eyes that starred back at me, the moonlight having failed to reveal anything else._

The screech of chairs brought my out of my daydream, or more like nightmare after that last scene.

"Enjoy the rest of your day, and please don't forget about the paper due next week…that means you Toshi," the teacher announced as he looked at boy heading down the isle. The boy scratched his head and started to bicker with the teacher.

"But I do _do _my papers!"

"Don't kid yourself…"

"What's that suppose to mean teach?!"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Now get going and don't forget that paper."

I sighed as I walked out of the classroom, a smile on my face at being free. I stepped out onto the pathway while trying to avoid the huge puddles of water. I glanced up at the sky, thanking those up there for not making it rain again. Although the sky was still dark and people were clutching their umbrellas as if it was going to rain again, I had faith it wouldn't.

Finally my apartment building came into view and I slowed my pace, relishing in the moist air. The smell of fresh air and rain disappeared as I entered the building, the doorman greeting me like every other day.

Ding.

The elevator's perfect timing put me in an even better mood. It was odd how rainy days always made me feel happy, considering rainy days were meant to make you feel bored and well, not happy. As I arrived at my floor I got this weird gut feeling.

Something's wrong. I glanced down the deserted hallway. In my mind I imagined it like the movies, a broken down hallway with worn away paint on the walls and flickering lights. Shaking my head I ignored my gut feeling and approached my door. Nothing could be wrong; this is a normal apartment building like any other, with good security. I thought back to the security guy, Bill, who clearly looked like he had a daily habit of stopping for donuts. Okay maybe not that good of security but he keeps it safe around here.

It was silent in the hallway, too silent.

Ding.

I felt my heart leap in my chest and I felt like I almost peed myself. Okay maybe not pee myself but it was still pretty close. I looked down the hallway towards the elevator and sighed in relief when a little girl ran out with her daddy.

Smiling as they passed I opened my door and quietly closed it and locked it. I turned around and dropped my keys in shock.

The room was trashed, the sofa torn to shreds and everything that had been on the coffee table was scattered around the room. I walked carefully over everything into the kitchen. Everything was trashed in there too. Who could have done this? It clearly wasn't a normal break in, they would have just taken things, not ruined the whole place. On that thought I went into my room and checked in my closet for my safe.

My heart slowed down a bit as I opened the safe and saw my credit cards and money safe, along with other valuables. Without thinking about it I placed them in my bag. No way was I going to leave it alone when someone has just broken into my apartment. It was better off with me than with a safe, I could fight at least a little bit to protect it.

With my most valuable possessions in my bag, I got up and walked out into the hallway.

"Hello my little pretty." I felt the air burst out of my lungs as I stumbled back into the wall. I hadn't even heard them come in, had they come in? I didn't have time to think about it before they were advancing on me. I tried to think of what to do but the fear made my mind go blank.

"Where is it pretty?" Where was what? I didn't have anything worth value, unless you counted my crappy furniture set worth value, which they clearly didn't since they'd trashed it.

"Where's what? I-I don't have anything—"

"Don't lie! We know you have it, just give it to us and we might be nice and turn you into a mindless servant." I felt myself freeze and my mind finally started to work again. Where had I seen them before? Trying to remember while under danger wasn't the easiest but it dawned on me then. The silver hair and black eyes were the same as those that had been in the hallway.

Shit, had they broken in then? Had they been here all this time? My mind came to a halt when they started to walk towards me again. I glanced around and realized it would have been better if I was in the kitchen, I could use a knife right about now. How unfortunate.

"Maybe if we just, _you know_, cut her a little bit, she'd tell us where it is," the one on the left said as she slowly advanced on me. I felt my heart hammering in my chest so hard it hurt and my body took over when one of them reached for me. I jammed my fist into her nose and then swiped her feet out from under her.

She swore and clutched her nose while the other pulled the biggest knife from the rack on the counter. I reminded myself to never keep the knives in plain sight again as I backed away, turned, and ran back into my bedroom, slamming and locking the door.

"You can only run for so long!" I stumbled backwards and fell over one of the tipped over lamps, slamming into the floor. Not only did it hurt, but it made me realize that this was a painful reality and not a dream.

I reached for the phone and pressed the talk button, quickly dialing 911.

"Shit, why won't you work?" The phone fell to the floor as I looked around the room. Should I fight them? Should I run? Figuring that the running would be a better option, I looked at the only other escape route in the room, the window.

_Get out of here._ My mind was screaming over and over at me and I gasped for breath as I stumbled over to the window, nearly tripping on all my things scattered on the floor. I willed my hands to stop shaking as I unlocked the window and climbed out onto the fire escape.

I glanced back for a second and felt my heart stop at what I saw. The two girls were coming out of the shadowed corner. They looked like a misty version of themselves then they slowly solidified until they almost looked real.

And they were staring right at me, with their blackened eyes and cruel smirks. Instead of testing my chances of survival, I decided that I would like to live, which kick started my legs.

_I want to live, I want to live, I want to live._ I tried to think of a plan but my mind was a buzzing mess. I jumped onto the ladder and let it slide down. Forgetting for a moment that there were still a couple feet to the ground, I jumped off and fell. I struggled to get up but I stopped when I felt a cold edge press against my neck.

A cruel laugh rang through the gloomy alleyway. I glanced up to find the two silver haired girls right in front of me, one of them holding the katana at my neck. They stared down at me with hatred. I couldn't even imagine what I'd done to create it and thinking back, I knew for a fact I hadn't done anything. Then why were they glaring at me with such exhausted anger, like they'd been waiting for this moment for years?

"Just give up blossom, you are powerless against _us_." I clenched my hands as the truth sunk in. I was going to die, whether it was sooner or later I didn't know, but the evidence was still there.

I could feel the blood coming out of my scraped knees as it mixed with the puddle I was kneeling in. I could feel the misty air around me as it started to lightly rain. I could feel my pink hair curl and frizz around my neck and face. I could feel the dread and fear course through myself as the cold edge of the katana slowly lifted in one final cut, straight for my head.

In slow motion the katana came down, its edge glinting. I felt the air rush from my lungs in a scream but I barely heard it as I realized this was finally it. My hands raised in a useless defense against the sharp edge.

_I want to live. . ._my eyes closed as I tried to block out the fact that this was probably the end of my short lived life. Tears filled behind my eyelids.

Twin screams tore through the air around me. I heard the katana fall to the ground and that rang along with the echoes of the screams.

My eyes opened and I felt my jaw drop at what I saw. The two girls were ice statues there, right in front of me. Their faces were frozen in shock and fear. Some clear substance covered them from head to toe, encasing them. I crawled over to them and slowly raised my hand, hesitant to touch the clear substance. Would it encase me like it had them? Would it kill me too?

I reached out, my hand shaking, and slowly touched it with just the slightest of fingertips. It was ice cold and slippery. My eyes widened with I realized what the substance was.

Ice.

But where did it come from? Fall had barely arrived and some days still reminded her of summer. And why had it only encased them when I was so close?

I slowly got up and realized something was off. Glancing around, I tried to figure out what it was. Ignoring the fact that ice just appearing out of nowhere was really weird and most likely impossibly, I surveyed the alleyway. Not being able to find anything I turned back to the two encased-in-ice-evil girls.

I caught sight of my bag out of the corner of my eye and went to pick it up. Suddenly it dawned on me what was wrong. The puddle I had been kneeling in was gone. So were the others in the alleyway. It looked as if it hadn't been raining at all, except for the misty rain coming down at that moment.

I glanced back at the ice statues and realized that I had some of my answers, but not the ones I really needed. Like how had it turned from water to ice? I pressed my hand against the ice again and thought about how it was the puddle.

That can't be it though, right? The water was clear and pure looking; none of the little dirty specs were in its surface. It looked like it had gone through a filter, which I knew it hadn't.

I knew I had been bleeding too, right into the puddle, yet there wasn't one drop of red anywhere in the ice.

My hand started to turn numb from the cold but I ignored it. My gut was also telling me this was somehow right. What was right?

Before I could think anymore one single word went through my head.

Water.

The ice statues suddenly melted into water, flowing down around my feet and soaking my shoes. The two bodies thudded to the ground and I stumbled backwards, fearing they would get up and resume trying to kill me.

"What the…hell?" Too shocked to think in my mind, the words escaped my mouth. "Did I do this?" Then I turned and ran.


	2. Two

Chapter 1 down, however many more still left to do! I have been sticking to my outline, faithfully, and I hope that this time I won't write myself into a corner. I'll keep this author note short because I doubt anyone is actually reading this ^^.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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I withdrew my hand from the space that the ice had just been in. Slowly backing up, I glanced around to see if anyone had witnessed any of this bizarreness.

Nope, no one. Figures.

My mind raced as I quickly turned around and ran around a couple corners till I was onto a busy sidewalk. The loud noises didn't help stop the millions of questions and possibilities in my head.

What was I to do? Would more of those two girls come for me? I knew I couldn't go back to my apartment. Whoever had sent those two girls would certainly figure out sooner or later that the two girls weren't coming back, and probably send more after me.

My eyes welled up as I realized that I couldn't come back to the city or my apartment again. I couldn't just find a new apartment in the city now that whoever sent those two girls knew I was somewhere in it. I sat down as the realization slammed into me for good. Before it had seemed so unreal and dreamlike, but now I realized that I was in real danger. I couldn't just sit here like a sitting duck, waiting for more of them to come kill me, I had to get moving.

I scratched at the back of my neck as a tingling sensation went down my back. The adrenaline rushed through my veins as I pulled out my phone. Only one person came to my mind that could possibly help me and thank goodness she was on speed dial number three.

"Hello?" My heart slowed down as I heard the soothing voice of my Auntie. She had always been there for me, even after my parents had died in a freak accident.

"Hi Auntie Tsunade." I winced at the breathlessness of my voice, and the quivering that made my voice sound shaky.

My auntie seemed to sense it too because there was silence for a moment before she responded. "What's wrong Sakura dear?"

My lips trembled at her motherly worried tone. I missed someone being there for me and watching out for me, especially now. Even though I wanted to tell her what was wrong I wasn't sure how to word it.

"Sakura, are you there?" The urgency of my Auntie's voice brought me back from my pondering and I stared down at my shaking hand as if it was a foreign object. This very hand had somehow turned ice to water without me knowing how it had done it. Maybe it just wasn't my hand that had done it, maybe it had been all of me.

Shit, was I some kind of alien without knowing it?

Shaking the silly idea from my head, I responded back to my aunt who was probably wondering if I had died or something with my long silence. "I-I don't know what h-happened, it j-just—unreal, unexplainable…" my words tumbled out of my mouth without me thinking about it, not that my thinking about it would make it any better.

"It's okay Sakura dear, calm down. I'm going to buy you a plane ticket and you can come up to Tokyo and…" She left the sentence hanging and I immediately filled it in in my head, _and we can figure out why I am having a mental breakdown over the phone._

"I'd like that Auntie, thank you," I couldn't relate how much relief was flowing through me at this moment. To be able to get away from this _scene _of weirdness and out of this city where people were suddenly showing up to kill me helped me breathe a little easier, even though it would be hard to leave all the same.

"The soonest flight they have is in two hours and I'll send someone to pick you up since I have business to attend here at the university."

"Okay, I'll see you soon Auntie."

"Bye dear, try to stay calm with whatever the situation is." The line went dead after she had delivered her advice. My heart had finally stopped trying to break out of my chest and I got up to get a taxi to the airport. As the taxi pulled up next to the curb I looked back at what had been my life this morning, and what was some scary place that was so very different now. My fingers scratched at the back of my neck as another tingle went down my spine as I stepped into the Taxi.

"Where to Miss?"

"The airport please." My old life disappeared from the window too quickly as my new life came speeding towards me.

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Duo.

2.

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"Miss, please lift up your tray and put your purse under your seat because we will be taking off shortly." The flight attendant stared down at me till I shifted around and removed my bag from the tray and stuck it under the seat in front of me. I muttered an apology as I lifted my tray and buckled my seat belt, knowing the flight attendant would ask me to do the latter next.

"Thank you Miss." She gave me a snobby look before she walked back down the isle towards the front of the first class seats, where the best of the first class seats were. I watched as she stopped to talk to what looked like a man in one of the front seats. Her flirty smile looked so skanky I wanted to laugh at the misfortune of the man in that seat. She laughed at something the man said before playfully slapping his shoulder, her laugh reaching my ears and making me cringe.

Whatever, he was probably fifty years old and liked her flirty attitude. I looked at the back of the man's head, his hair not having one gray hair. If he was sitting in one of the priciest seats on one of the best airplane companies, he probably had enough sense to get his hair died after he had turn forty.

The flight attendants moved towards their seats, including the annoying one and I waited for the plane to start to move. My stomach did flip flops as we ascended into the sky and hit stray wind streams. Finally we leveled off and smoothed out. The gentle rocking of the plane and dimmed lights soothed me to sleep and I welcomed a break from the questionable nightmare my life had turned into.

I opened my eyes to find myself in the same meadow, only this time there was a sound in the distance. I glanced around to find where the sound was coming from and I saw my reflection in the clear pond.

I was dressed in armor, battle armor, and there was a katana strapped to my back, its hilt visible over my shoulder. The hilt was beautiful, its leather a dark brown and what looked like cherry blossoms woven into the leather, if that was even possible.

I didn't even stop to think about if it was possible considering my other dream had consisted of a dome of water and walking on said water.

My hair was longer than I actually kept it, and it was weaved into a long pink braid. I pulled the braid over my shoulder to look at it closer and saw that there was a silver thread weaved into the braid, its twists and swirls reminding me of water and waves.

I ran my fingers over the armor and found it to feel like leather also. Oddly enough it was a mix of silver and the color of water under the moonlight. It also had what looked like ancient writing all over it in a swirling design.

My head snapped up as the noise sounded through the meadow again.

It sounded like metal meeting metal but it was louder than I expected. Pushing off the ground I glanced down and saw I was wearing long silver boots that came up and over my cloth pants. I looked back up and walked towards the reddish orange light emitting from the edge of the meadow.

I gasped at the horrible scene I saw when I emerged from the fringe of trees. It was a huge battlefield, its ground littered with hundreds, maybe even thousands of bodies. Fire was everywhere and emitted a black smoke that blackened the sky.

"What the. . .?" My attention was caught by the war cries of a huge group that rushed towards the middle of the battlefield, my heart strings tugging as if I knew most of the warriors.

I saw something rise from the ground and felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach as these torn up bodies rose from under the ground, their claws digging into the ground as they surfaced. Suddenly a new feeling rushed through me. It felt like the need to go help the warriors, like they were my comrades, and fight till the end besides them.

My head snapped up as I sensed something approaching me. I stumbled backwards as a man landed in front of me, his black wings stretched out in unimaginable beauty behind him as they caught the wind. The powerful wind made my braid fall from my shoulder and trail behind me. He wore the same armor as me only instead of a silvery blue it was a fiery red. Two katana hilts peeked over his shoulders, their leather weaved with dangerous looking dragons.

His wings fluttered before they retracted into his back and I stared in amazement as they melded into his back. Some gut instinct in me told me that I held the same ability to fly, with wings just as beautiful as his. I doubted anything I had was as beautiful as his wings, and his face was even more beautiful.

His black hair was just as black as his wings, like the midnight sky, and his eyes were slowly bleeding red as he continued to stare at me. His face held features that were so strong; I had never seen anything more spectacular in my nineteen years.

My gut twisted again, but this time it was telling me that he was something more than just an angel to me, more than a protector.

My heart stuttered as he held out his hand towards me, beckoning me to come to him. The same ancient symbols that were in my armor spiraled down his arms and branched out to meet at the top of his hands. As I stared longer at the markings they started to move like the flames of a fireplace. Warm, soothing, and loving.

Without thinking I raised my hand and took his. I looked from out joined hands up to my own arms, not surprised to find my own markings on my own arms. They ran up my arms and disappeared under the sleeves of my armor. I stared at the markings as they danced like the waves, bringing with it the soothing feel of the rain on my skin. Surprised, I realized that it wasn't raining and that my arms weren't even wet.

The sound of metal sliding across a sheath made me look back up at the sinfully beautiful man. His had drawn one of his katana with his free hand. My own free hand mimicked his and I drew my own, its blade different from his. While his was slimmer and straighter, mine was larger and its blade was curved more.

I expected the blade to be heavier since it was larger, but its weight seemed normal in my hand. He pulled me towards the edge of the cliff that overlooked the battlefield and unclasped my hand. I felt this sadness erupt within me at the loss his touch but my face turned cherry red as he raised the same hand and caressed my face as he leaned in and kissed me.

Never before had someone so passionately kissed me. His lips were smooth and powerful against mine. He kissed me as if there would be no tomorrow, and somewhere inside me I had this feeling that there might not be for one of us once the war was over. He nipped at my lips and drew my upper lip between his lips to suck it wetly before releasing it to kiss me softly. Just as I was beginning to get over my shock and kiss him back he drew back. Lightly kissing me twice more, he caressed my face before taking my hand again.

Turning towards the battlefield, he looked at me one last time, the hidden message of love clearly showing on his face.

I felt my markings tingle on my arms as my arm hairs stood up. My back tingled and I felt something light and huge retract from my back like petals blossoming from a flower bud. I looked over the battlefield sorrowfully before looking back at the man, his black wings majestically coming up from his back also. He looked back at me before we jumped off the cliff, our katanas held high, ready to strike.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I woke with a start, my back tingling. I scratched at the back of my neck before unbuckling my seat belt and heading for the bathroom.

Something about the dream unnerved me and put my on edge. I didn't normally have dreams about heart stopping men with heart stopping looks. Nor did I have dreams about gory battles and flying.

I stood outside the bathroom, waiting impatiently for the person in there to hurry up. I was tempted to go to the other side of the plane and use that one but with one glance down the isle and seeing the annoying flight attendant flirting with another one of the rich passengers made me change my mind.

"Finally," I muttered as some old guy came out of the bathroom. He better not have stunk of the bathroom or I was not only going to be irritated but also nauseous for the rest of the plane ride.

Once inside I put down the seat on the toilet and sat down shakily. There was still a tingle going down my spine and I tried to relax my stiff back to make it go away. I glanced around the incredibly small bathroom and stood up, relieved that the tingling was receding. I looked at my pale face in the mirror before bending down to wet my face.

Just as I was about to splash the water on my face, the plane hit turbulence and sent the water spraying onto the mirror and causing me to press my hands against the mirror to stop myself from slamming into it.

My heart pounded in my chest and I breathed a sigh of relief when the plane smoothed out again. I hated planes, I really did. Not only were they thousands of feet in the air, they always bumped around and made standing up difficult.

A light cracking sound sounded through the bathroom. My mind ran blank with fear as I felt the tingling grow stronger in my spine and slowly raised my head to see where the sound had come from.

I felt whatever color had been in my face drain away at the sight in front of me. Branching out from my hands on the mirror were tendrils of ice. Cold hard ice, its coldness biting into my fingers and causing the hair on my arms to rise.

I watched as the water dripping down the mirror and away from the ice started to harden into ice. My eyes followed a drop of water as it made its way down the mirror but I could faintly hear the sound of more cracking as the droplet slowed and hardened into ice.

My mouth hung open in pure, unreal shock.

And I didn't even know where it had come from this time. There were no puddles in the bathroom. Had it come from the water in the sink? I looked back up at the mirror.

Small drops of water were making their way down the mirror towards the sink but most of it was stuck to the mirror, in _ice._

My shock dispersed into fear as I pulled my hands away from the mirror is if it was a boiling hot stove top. My back slammed into the wall that was only feet away from the mirror as I tried to gasp in air.

_No, not again._ My mind rang over and over with that one sentence. Not even a day ago had this same problem appeared, shaking me to my core and making me flee my home. Now it was happening on a plane, where I couldn't go anywhere and my fear was amounting to a mental breakdown.

I looked down at my shaking hands and realized they were dry. I know I hadn't dried my hands but I didn't know how they were dry.

A loud banging on the plastic door almost made me jump. Trying to calm my pounding heart I started to pick at the ice on the mirror.

"I'll be out in a second," I spoke through the door to the person on the other end. The pounding stopped and I finally got all the ice off the mirror. Running the water I washed all the ice down the drain and wiped the mirror dry.

"Excuse me, there are other passengers that need to use the bathroom so if you would please hurry up," the voice came through the door and I quickly opened it to find the annoying flight attendant glaring at me. I guess she had detached herself from the men of the plane long enough to pick on me instead.

"Sorry, the movement of the plane makes me feel sick," I lied as I walked down the isle, my hands clenching as the tingling of my spine slowly faded. Not only had the tingling started to appear more, but it made my arm hairs rise and was unnerving.

I rubbed my hands together uncomfortably and realized my hands were icy cold. My hands froze and I put them under my thighs, hoping they would warm up with some body heat. I didn't care what others thought of how it looked, they had probably done weirder things in their lifetimes, but I just wanted my hands back to a normal temperature.

The time seemed to drag on as the plane bumped around and slowly made its way towards Tokyo. Finally the buckle your seat belt sign came on and it was announced that in about twenty five minutes we would be on the ground. As the plane slowly started to descend I felt calmness overcome me as I drew nearer to my Auntie.

"Welcome to Tokyo everyone. It is 82 degrees out and it will be sunny for the rest of the week. Thank you for flying with us and have a great day." The plane finally jerked as it hit the ground and came to a stop.

Thanking my Auntie that I was in first class, I quickly got off the plane and out into the airport. One of the luxuries of first class flying was the fact that you always got to get off the plane first.

Glancing at my cell phone's clock I was shocked to find that it was almost eleven o'clock. I hadn't realized that plane ride was that long, or that I had slept that long on the plane. My whole body tingled, what a shocker, at the memory of the dream, and the kiss, oh _god _that kiss. I could feel my cheeks heating up at the mere memory and I shoved it to the back of my mind before my face could resemble a cherry.

I pressed the speed dial number three and waited.

"Hello Sakura dear."

"Hi Auntie, my flight just landed," I answered into the phone, wishing I was already at her home, safe and sound.

"Yes the boys I sent just got off their flight also and they should be picking up their luggage right about now. Where are you dear?" Her soothing voice came through the speaker and I smiled at the feeling it gave me, the feeling of home.

"I'm not sure, the gate says Gate 26 and it's near this breakfast café called La Mañana," I looked at the café and the muffins in the glass display. My mouth watered as my stomach grumbled. I blushed and glanced around, hoping no one had heard that.

"Okay, you stay there and I'll tell them to make their way towards the gate. I shall see you later Sakura dear and we will see if we can figure things out."

"Thank you Auntie, I can't wait to see you."

"Me too dear." The line went dead and I put my phone in my bag. I was anxious to see Auntie Tsunade but at the same time I feared she would thing I was some kind of freak now. Or even worse, she wouldn't know what to do, which was very rare.

Suddenly I realized I had forgotten to ask her what the boys looked like that were picking me up. Even though I wanted to call her back and ask her I figured she was busy enough as it was and decided the boys could find me easy enough. I mean, how many people had natural pink hair? I was the only one I knew of.

My stomach growled again and I headed over to the breakfast café, eager to shut my stomach up and taste one of the delicious looking muffins. After I had ordered a chocolate chip muffin and a bottle of water, I headed over to one of the tables and sat down.

I thought about all that I had left behind. My apartment, comfy and cozy, and my home. The university I was going to had been a community college since that was all I could afford, not that my intelligence was that limited. The city was familiar to me, all my favorite places mapped out near my apartment.

I propped my head on my hand, suddenly not so hungry. Picking at my half eaten muffin I blew some of the hair out of my face and watched other travelers and workers pass by, waiting for the 'boys' to come pick me up, if they ever found me.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Marry me Sasuke!"

"I love you!"

"She's ugly, I'm the pretty one!"

"I love you the most!"

Sasuke ignored the shouts as he walked into the airport terminal. He pulled out his phone, clicking the on button before shoving it back into his pocket.

Such annoying fangirls, they never gave up. His annoyance grew as he tried to get through the crowd of girls. They really did have an IQ of two. They didn't get the hint that he wasn't interested in their pathetic asses.

"Hey! Wait up chicken ass." The blond tried to get through the girls. Sasuke didn't look back as he broke through the group of girls and headed for the luggage recovery area. He wasn't going to waste time waiting in a group of annoying girls for Naruto to catch up.

Naruto's shouts were muffled as the fangirls started to follow Sasuke. Suddenly he was right next to Sasuke, unfortunately. "Geez wouldn't kill you to wait for me."

"When it comes to you, then yes it would."

"No it wouldn't. I'm your besty in the whole wide world." Naruto punched him in the arm and gave him a cheeky smile.

"Do that again and I'll break your wrist off, _besty_." Naruto was about to punch him in the arm again until he saw Sasuke's dark look. His arm instead took a different course and scratched the back of his head.

"So, the sun is shining... the birds are chirping and—"Naruto started to wave his arms around, ignoring the annoyed looks people gave him when he almost smacked them.

"Shut up." Naruto looked as Sasuke, his arms still flapping until he hit an old lady. The gray wig fell off the lady's head. Suddenly the old lady looked up, fire in her eyes, and lifted her purse.

Smack.

"ACK! Watch it lady. It was an accident. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Naruto ran away, looking over his shoulder at the old lady that chased him.

Sasuke walked off. Why should he care if Naruto got chased by some old lady. It was his fault after all; his arms were like helicopter propellers, and his mouth was even worse, louder than the loudest engine and foghorn _combined._

But oh well, once a dobe, always a dobe.

As he walked he thought about the plane ride. It had been hell as usual, considering Naruto was sitting next to him the whole time. Naruto never did get the concept of silence or patience.

The girls continued to screech as Sasuke walked through the airport. He sighed as he saw Naruto run past him, the old lady still chasing him. He couldn't help but smirk. The blond always managed to get into some stupid situation.

"Take that you old hag. Want your wig? Come get it." Naruto cackled as he ran by again, waving a gray wig above his head. The old lady ran by, her head bald except for a few gray hairs.

"Get back here you young moron. Give me my wig back." Sasuke watched them disappear around the corner, their voices fading.

Sasuke walked up to the luggage belt and waited for his luggage. He hauled it off the belt and made sure he had all of it. Yep, one suitcase, check.

A couple suitcases down was a bright orange suitcase with the words _I Love Ramen_ stitched in the side. Sasuke watched as the luggage belt carried it past, not even contemplating to get it off the belt.

"Hey wait! That's my suitcase, come back!" Sasuke watched as Naruto tried to catch up with his luggage before it went back into the luggage holder behind the dangling plastic flaps. He was too slow and the bright orange suitcase disappeared on the belt.

"Bastard, you could have at least gotten my suitcase for me." Naruto glared at Sasuke while he waved his hands. "Now it's somewhere behind that stupid wall and will probably get shipped off to some place far-far-far-far-far away."

"It's your fault if you decided you would rather get your ass kicked by an old lady than get your luggage." Sasuke stared at Naruto before he pulled out his buzzing cell phone.

"What?"

"Is that how you greet your elders Uchiha?" Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"What do you want _Headmaster_?"

"I need you to pick up my niece at the airport."

"Pick her up yourself."

"Being the Headmaster of your university doesn't mean I have free time in the middle of the day to run to the airport and since you are already there, you can pick her up, or fail and have to repeat the year. Your pick."

Sasuke resisted the urge to slam his cell phone against the nearest object, which was Naruto. Naruto, sensing his anger, slowly backed away with his arms raised. His attention was caught on his bright orange suitcase which was on its second loop on the belt, and almost to the wall with the dangling plastic flaps again. He tried to catch up to it, but tripped on a suitcase and did a face plant into the ground.

"Aww not again!" He sat there on the floor, grumpily glaring at the wall.

"Fine, we'll pick her up once the moron gets his suitcase, if he ever does," Sasuke gritted out into the phone, hating being told what to do.

"Good, she's at Gate 26 and in a café called La Mañana. I expect she will come to the university in one piece, and still in her right mind, if Naruto is there. Oh and she has pink hair, you won't be able to miss her."

Sasuke hung up the phone after grunting in reply. Not only did he have to go to class after spending a ten hour flight on a plane next to a non stop talking Naruto, but not he had to babysit some teenager, with _pink_ hair. What was she, twelve? Not only that, but she was probably going to cling to him like all the other girls.

Great, could his day get any shittier?

"Yahoo! I got it, I got it, I got it. Take that you possessed wall of hell!" Naruto started kicking the wall like it actually had feelings. Sasuke stared at Naruto before turning around and heading towards the Gates 1-30. No way was he going to waste time trying to break up the fight Naruto was trying to pick with a wall.

Hoping he would at least get around the corner before Naruto realized he was gone, his wish was ignored as Naruto came sprinting up to him, hauling his suitcase behind him as if it wasn't holding maybe twenty packs of ramen and some clothes, and weighing more than it appeared.

"Bastard." Sasuke ignored him, looking up at the sign and taking a left as the sign had directed.

"Headmaster called and wants us to pick up her niece."

"Wow and you agreed? That's a first chicken ass." Sasuke glared at him, daring him silently to use that nickname again. Naruto gave him a cheeky grin and swung his suitcase up onto his shoulder, almost taking out a man behind him.

"She threatened to fail me."

"You could have threatened to fire her."

"That's not my place, it's my brother's," Sasuke mumbled, wishing it was his place so he could threaten her. Unfortunately, he knew his brother wouldn't fire her even if he asked, and she was the best headmaster in the country and his brother wouldn't settle for anything less.

"Where are we picking her up?"

"Gate 26. She has pink hair or something. Sounds like a twelve year old to me, like I want to babysit." Naruto snorted at the mental image of Sasuke in an apron and a twelve year old girl with hearts in her eyes clinging to his leg.

"Maybe Granny Tsunade will let us have the rest of the day off for picking her up," Naruto sounded hopeful. "And if that happens we can go eat Ramen!"

"Doubt it."

"Why must you always burst my bubble?" Naruto started to screech again, drawing attention to them. Not that the fangirls didn't already.

Sasuke smacked him in the side of the head, hoping it would shut him up. It had an opposite affect on him, making his voice raise louder. "Shut it dobe."

They finally neared Gate 26 and looked around, trying to find a head of pink hair. If she was twelve she was probably short so they started to look for a short pink haired person.

With no such luck they walked over to the café nearby and sat down at one of the tables, watching the passing people and looking for a pink haired person.

Guess his day could get worse.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I sighed as I checked my phone for the millionth time. Where were they? It had been at least half and hour and I was getting restless. Getting up I threw my picked at muffin away and headed towards the bathroom a little ways down towards Gate 25.

Walking into the bathroom I found it empty except for one other person. I smiled at her and she smiled back as she passed me and walked out of the bathroom.

Not really having to go to the bathroom, I washed my hands instead, hoping to stall time. Maybe I could waste enough time so that I would walk out there and they would be there, waiting for me like I had been waiting for them. Serves them right.

Relieved that my fingers weren't sticky from the muffin anymore I reached for a paper towel and started drying my hands. I glanced up for a second and froze.

Behind me stood a girl with short silver hair and black eyes, just like the other two girls. My fingers went numb with fear as the paper towel fell from my hands to the floor. I stared at her, willing it to be a dream. Maybe I was still on the plane and was dreaming all of this.

"You are not dreaming, on contraire this is all reality." The voice was as cold as the stare she was giving me and I felt my spine tingle. Had I just said that out loud? Or had she. . .?

"You didn't say it out loud, and yes I did." The girl's lips curled in a cruel smile, her eyes disappearing under her bangs as she tilted her head downwards towards the ground.

"W-who are you?" I hated that my voice quivered with fear but that's how I felt when I was alone in a bathroom with a girl that could read my mind. I hadn't realized till that point that I had turned around and was clutching the sink as if it was a lifeline.

The girl lifted her lips in another cruel smile and I realized she was reading my thoughts at this very moment. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, clearing my mind as best I could and focusing solely on the makeup of a type atom, its structure, and its uses.

Her head snapped up and she glared at me, clearly pissed off that I had been able to so easily evade her mind reading ability.

"Too bad I can't kill you, I would have enjoyed that, but oh well." Her smile turned sickly sweet. Just as I was wondering what she meant by not being able to kill me, I mean the other two hadn't hesitated, an older lady rushed into the bathroom. She glanced at the two of us, ignoring the tension and disappearing into one of the stalls.

"Until next time _blossom_." She calmly but swiftly walked out of the bathroom and into the passing people.

I didn't hesitate as I ran out of the bathroom, trying to find her in the crowd so I could follow her. Just who was sending all these people who wanted to kill me? And next time? I wasn't sure if I could stop there from being a next time, but I would try and prevent it as much as possible.

"Where...did she go?" My breath sounded loud in my ears as I spun around, trying to find a head of long silver hair. I knew I probably looked a little crazy, okay maybe a little more than crazy, but I needed to find her. I wasn't going to just let her leave without making her tell me who was trying to _kill _me. She may have thought of it as some game but I sure as hell didn't.

I slowly stopped looking around, realizing she was gone and it was useless to keep looking for her. Someone bumped into me and quickly apologized which made me realize I was in the middle of the walking group of people, blocking the way and making it harder for them to get to wherever they were going.

Miserably I quickly moved out of the way, and to the side of the terminal. Just as I was about to sit down someone taped me on the shoulder. For some odd reason filled with an adrenaline rush, I spun around thinking it was the girl.

I slammed into a chest and realized too late that the girl wouldn't tap on my shoulder. She would probably have already stabbed me with something before dragging me off to the inner pits of hell, if that was possible.

As I glanced up my mouth went dry and my mind went blank as I came face to face with someone who was definitely not female.

His beautiful face was identical to the one in my dream and only this time, instead of a look of love on his face, he had a glare directed straight at me.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Okay, this is the last time of re-editing this chapter! I fixed the italics for thoughts problems and made some sentence adjustments so it's all good to go! Hopefully tomorrow I'll have chapter 3 done and the day after chapter 4 started. I was hoping that I would have an idea about what each chapter would be like considering I have a plot tree but I don't. I guess I'll just have to write as I go and plan out the chapters based on how I build them up.

Thank you and see you soon!


	3. Three

Phew, chapter two down with. It feels unreal because I never thought I would be able to get the story going again, with a full plan and all that. But here I am on the third chapter with a base down and slowly building up my little foundations for my little story!

Hopefully this rewrite will not crash like the others but maybe it will. I know though for a fact that the first two chapters were a success and that at least a little bit of the rewrite is behind me now (: and a whole lot of rewrite still left to go.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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S

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_Enjoy_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to say something, anything, to this gorgeous man in front of me. But all that went through my head was that he was _real._

Holy shit, he was real.

The solid chest under my hand proved he was one hundred percent human and one hundred percent solid.

With that thought I snatched my hands back as if his chest had just turned into some raging hot fire, burning the skin on my hands. Not that his skin wasn't warm, it was completely warm and hot and deliciously firm. It reminded me of a warm fire in a fireplace after being outside in a cold, raging snow storm.

The warmth made me feel at home and set my back into a spasm of tingles.

Oh God, I had been staring at his chest for a good full minute now, like some obsessed moron. My face started to heat up as I took a step back and looked back up at his face.

Yep, still glaring. My eyes narrowed at him in annoyance. Okay, so I had been ogling him for a moment or two, but that didn't give him a reason to give me a mean look.

Suddenly remembering what my Auntie had said, I surveyed the two. Well, they were 'boys,' or more like males. "Did Auntie Tsunade send you to pick me up?"

"Hn. Oi dobe, let's go before some old lady decides to kick your ass again." The guy turned his glare to the blond haired guy. I stared at the blond who was waving his arms energetically. Huh, they were friends? I honestly wouldn't have guess that but the dark haired one was definitely speaking to the blond.

"Do you have any luggage?" He looked around my feet, looking for any bags. I shook my head no, rubbing my hands together uncomfortably at the sad remembrance that all my belongings were back in my old apartment, along with my old life.

He stared at me for another moment and I realized I had gone off into depression land, my shoe rubbing against the carpeted floor and making this annoying scratching sound. I glanced back up at him and put on a smile, hoping the smile would cheer me up on the inside like it did on the outside.

The blond came up and slapped the guy on the back before racing up ahead. The guy glared at him before hoisting his own suitcase up and following him towards the entrance.

His whole attitude came off to me as a jerk. Loud and clear.

Not even sparing a glance back at me he walked out of the airport and towards the parking garage. At first I tried to keep up with his long strides, but my adrenaline rush was coming to an end as my legs started to tire out.

Jackass wouldn't even wait for me, or slow down. How nice. I allowed my pace to slow down till I was walking behind him, my legs screaming for a good eight hours of sleep, or twelve.

As we entered the parking garage I wondered which car was Jackass'. Was it that beat up, old looking one two floors up? I hoped so. It would help me mentally knock him off his high horse. No one was perfect, right?

We turned the corner and my attention was caught on the sleek black car that was just up a little ways. It stood out like a sore thumb and I wondered who would be stupid enough to trust it alone in a parking garage.

I saw Jackass pull out keys from his pocket and click a button once. The black sleek car's lights lit up and I could hear its engine come to life with a purr.

Figures. The one car in the whole parking garage that could take away someone's breath just by staring at it was Jackass'. The beauty of the car was outstanding and I bet I would have fainted if I had seen the price. If I had remembered correctly this car was a Bugatti Veyron, one of the most expensive cars in the world. I'd read about it somewhere in a magazine, along with the fact that they had only made about ten of them.

The blond guy opened the trunk and put his bright orange suitcase in before turning around and smiling at me.

I smiled back, wondering once again how he was friends with the Jackass.

"I'm Naruto, ramen loving extraordinaire, at your service." My smiled widened, liking his energy when mine was so low.

"I'm Sakura, strawberry loving extraordinaire," I responded back, hoping my little joke would put us on a friend's basis, especially when Jackass was clearly not an option, and his attitude was clearly not friendly. I stared at Jackass, waiting for him to introduce himself, and not being surprised when he ignored us and got into the car.

As much as I didn't want to sit in the back like a little kid, I had no choice. The car purred as Jackass drove out of the parking garage smoothly.

I suddenly remembered that the magazine had also said that the car was known as the second fastest car in the world, and I had to hold back the woozy feeling in my stomach as Jackass suddenly accelerated onto the highway, going from five miles an hour to seventy in seconds.

Once the initial feeling of roller coaster stomach quenching was over, I sat back in the butter smooth seat, realizing that something was heating up the seat and making it nice and warm.

Naruto sat in the passenger seat, adjusting the radio to a good station. Well, a good station to him, not me.

"Opps I did it agaaaaaaaaain..." His loud voice cracked as it reached a high point, making me want to laugh, but holding it back in politeness. I didn't want to offend him if he was going to be the only friend I had for awhile.

"Shut it dumbass, I don't want to be deaf for the rest of my life." Jackass' voice rang through the car, smooth and low. Naruto stopped his singing for a moment to argue with him before he started up again, changing to a station that was playing a faster, and more techno song on it.

The soft rumble of the engine and the last of my energy made my eyes close as I drifted off, Naruto's singing echoing in the background.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Treis.

3.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I felt myself falling slowly, my limbs moving like molasses as I reached out my arms. Something cold surrounded me and made the goose bumps on my skin rise so high that it became painful.

I tried to open my eyes and everything around me came through blurry, making me realize I was underwater. My fear and shock caused me to take in a huge breath, the water exploding in my lungs and causing prickles of pain to run down my chest and ribs.

My legs started to kick slowly as I clawed my way up towards the surface. The distance seemed like miles as my lungs deflated, the water coming back out through my mouth and nose and causing me to choke.

I could feel my eyes water up, making my surroundings even blurrier, as I slowly sunk back down, the tears mixing with the deadly water that was slowly killing me. My bottom hit the ground and I remained there for a moment before I started to float back up.

The moonlight hit me squarely in the face, illuminating my dying moment for the whole underwater world to see. My body folded out, as if I was lying on an invisible bed, and my eyes drifted close, thankful that the blurry world was gone from my sight.

In my mind I pleaded for someone to help me, wanting to live for some unknown reason I couldn't understand.

Someone suddenly grabbed my wrist, dragging me up towards the surface. I wondered if my pleading mind had somehow conjured someone up, but I forgot that thought as I gulped in air and choked up water. It hurt to take such huge gulps of air but I ignored the pain, too glad to be breathing to care.

"T-thank you, for a second there I-I thought..." My mind went blank as I realized I had almost died by the one element that brought me the most peace and happiness.

I glanced up through pink strands of hair at my savior, and pushed the hair out of my face to get a better look at him. His black wings weren't in sight and I felt a sense of loss at their not being there haloing him.

My mind conjured up the image from my dream. Not one detail was missed as I remembered the silky, black smoothness of his wings and the even smoother feeling of his lips on mine. His black hair was just as black as the last time, his muscles still as strong and stealthy looking. His katana was just as majestic looking, its leather dragons just as fierce as the last look she had had of them.

"I wouldn't have let that happen, ever." His voice was low and smooth, its roughness coming through as his eyes lit up with passion and love, directed at me. I faintly realized his hand was still wrapped around my wrist, as if expecting me to go sinking back into the water.

I also realized that we were in the familiar meadow that I kept appearing in. Somehow it was a place for both good dreams and nightmares.

A heat spread from my wrist upwards towards my shoulder. I glanced down, startled, and found the man's markings glowing a slight red. The heat continued to spread, shaking away the shivers of cold and fear that had been wracking my body.

"I don't...w-who are you?" I stared into his deep, black eyes, trying not to get lost in them. I didn't even know who he was even though he had appeared in my dreams, and even in reality. Solid and flesh and warm. Now if I could only get a solid name so I wouldn't feel so confused.

"Sakura..." Confused, I stared down at his hand as he withdrew it from my wrist and the warmth stopped. I felt a sense of loss as the warmth stopped spreading, halting at my legs and leaving my feet cold.

"Yes that's my name, but what is yours?" His face broke into a smirk as he kept silent, refusing to tell me who he was. I was about to tell him he was as much a jackass in my dreams as in real life when my shoulders started to shake. The shakes started to turn jerky, rougher, and my dark world faded as light stung my eyes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was all a dream. I realized this as my eyes fluttered and I reentered the real world.

Damn you reality, always coming at the worst time.

"Sakura wake up, we're here!" I stared up into ocean blue eyes, confused as to where I was.

Naruto turned back around in his seat as the car moved forward past an open gate and into a huge campus. The gate was huge and ancient looking, its black iron glinting in the sunlight and surrounding the whole campus, protecting those living inside and keeping unwanted outside.

I stared out the window in amazement as we passed tennis courts, indoor pools, horse stables, volleyball courts, gymnasiums, every extra curricular activity possible had some sort of building for themselves. People walking on the crosswalks and pathways stared at the car as we passed and I faintly heard squeals of girls behind us.

The car turned a couple corners and we stopped in front of an elegantly built brick building. I opened the door and got out, dragging my bag along like it was a sack of bricks, because it sure felt like one.

I looked up and my mind registered as to where I was as I stared at the huge building and bracket that said **Meiji-Uchiha University **that was hanging on the brick wall.

Wow. Auntie Tsunade is very good at her job if she is the headmaster of this huge, and I mean super duper huge university.

I turned back around to thank Naruto and Jackass for giving me a ride but found the car gone. Sighing I stared up at the building, glad to be here but dreading what was to come.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Sakura dear, I've missed you so much!" I entered the spacious room and immediately headed towards my Auntie, smiling at the feeling of safeness.

The room consisted of everything a headmaster's room would have. A large dark wooden desk with a top notch computer on it. A phone with so many buttons even I couldn't guess what all of them were for. Two large windows behind the desk showed the campus stretched out before it, a view that I found amazing and beautiful. A long, comfy looking sofa stood on one side of the room, facing the center of the room, and a large plasma TV hung on the wall across the room from it. Over the couch stood different sized portraits of old headmasters and what must be the founders of the school considering there were two men in two very large portraits right in the middle of the wall.

"I've missed you too Auntie, I'm so glad I'm here and not..." My voice faded away as I thought of where else I could be. Would I be dead if I hadn't gotten on a plane and flown thousands of miles to Tokyo? Would I still be on the streets somewhere trying to figure out what to do?

"You look like you need a long hot shower and some sleep." My Auntie's voice brought me back to the real world and I looked down at myself. Wow, I looked like a homeless person. My shirt was stained with dirt and my pants were even worse. The knees of them had little holes in them which were surrounded by blood. I guess I had fallen harder than I thought.

"I look like shit," I stated the obvious, knowing my Auntie was thinking the exact same thing. After the initial welcome back and caring tone, she turned into the Auntie I loved. She wasn't afraid to state the obvious and she definitely had a backbone. No wonder she was the headmaster of one of the most prestigious schools around.

"Yeah, you do. But nothing a little hot water and a soft bed can't clean up." I smiled, glad she was just as I had remembered.

"But shouldn't we talk about what had happened?" Even though I didn't want to find out what kind of freak I was turning into, I still had to know.

Auntie had this knowing glint in her eyes and I realized she already knew somehow. Whether it was that motherly promotion or just an all knowing feeling she had I didn't know, but all my worries went away. She would know what to do, and she would tell me what to do when she was ready.

"It's okay, I'll let you use my suite till we can get your paperwork set up and you registered into the system. I'll get you a double with one of the other sophomores and you'll be able to move in tomorrow." I gaped at her. I was going here, seriously?

Here being the place where they had over three tennis courts, probably a gazillion pools hidden somewhere, horse stables and shooting ranges, and probably a bunch of other facilities that make this place just one step under heaven.

"Wow, thank you Auntie! I guess I don't have to do that paper now." My Auntie smiled at me, glad to have made my day at least a little better.

"What's better than having my niece here? I understand all your belongings are back in Yokohama so I'll have someone go out and buy you new clothes and furnishing for your double."

"Thank you Auntie but I'm really fine. I can find a job and buy my own things—"

"No, you are my niece and I'll buy whatever I want for you. Now, go out that door and to the left there is a staircase. I already have you registered in the security system so the door should open for you after you put you hand on the sensor. Make yourself at home and feel free to eat whatever you want in the kitchen and to use the guest bedroom." I nodded and followed her directions, going to the left and up the staircase. I was nervous at first that the sensor wouldn't unlock the door but it worked fine, just as my Auntie had said it would.

The suite was incredible. The furnishings were modern and a champagne color while the walls were a dark red and light brown. My entire old apartment would have fit in the living room alone, and there would still have been extra space. I walked through the living room and into the kitchen, amazed at the sheer size of everything. The kitchen was just as big with stainless steel everything. The counters were marble and I walked over to the refrigerator when my stomach started grumbling.

"I think I have just died and gone straight to heaven." I stared at all the food. Wow, there was everything to choose from. I decided to just make a sandwich since my eyes were starting to get heavy. After I had eaten it and cleaned up I went to go look for the guest bedroom.

Finding a staircase I decided to go up it, figuring the bedrooms would be on the second floor. The hallway was long and as I wandered down it I opened each of the doors. One was a closet with towels and other random cleaning products. Another was an entertainment room, not that the living room wasn't one also with all its fancy gadgets.

I tried to open one of the doors but it was locked. My curiosity made me jiggle the doorknob one more time before I moved on, figuring it must be Auntie's room. I opened the door next to it and found a huge, luxurious bedroom. I gaped at it for a moment, the king sized bed sitting in the middle of the huge round room. A huge round window lay in the ceiling over the bed, bring in rays of sunlight to cast on the bed. The windows in the curved wall went halfway around the room, bringing in even more sunlight.

I stepped into the room and walked over to one of the huge doors. Inside was the biggest closet I had ever seen, which was bare except for some articles of clothing. I walked over to the pair of pajamas hanging on a hanger and found them to be my exact size. Smiling, I grabbed them and headed back into the bedroom, going to the other door.

The bathroom was awesome. The tub, which sat in the middle of the room, looked like it could fit ten people in it at once and the shower looked like it was made of marble which sparked from the sunlight coming through the window in the ceiling. There was another room off to the side of the bathroom that held the toilet. Almost all of the walls held floor to ceiling mirrors. There was another ceiling window that sat over the tub, lighting it up.

I was tempted to fill up the tub and soak in it but I opted for a shower, eager to get into the big fluffy bed. While I showed I tried to clean the cuts on my hands and knees, gritting my teeth at the dull throb that ran up from the cuts and through my body.

After I was sure my cuts were at least a little bit cleaner I just stood there. Everything was just sinking in as the water pelted my skin. I was finally here, safe and sound, and thankfully, not dead.

"So what now?" I voiced to myself. Would I find out I was some alien? Or maybe I was like X-Men. I could definitely deal with some alone time with Wolverine.

Shaking my head at the direction of my thoughts, I turned off the water and dried off. Even the towels were wonderful, their silkiness making me stare at my own skin. My skin was like sandpaper to these towels. The flannel pajamas were just as smooth and soft and I sighed in comfort. Wow, this was the life.

I practically ran back into the bedroom and pulled back the sheets. Moaning, I snuggled into the sheets and smiled as my muscles relaxed and I drifted off.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tsunade tapped away on the computer, arranging Sakura's new schedule and dormitory room. She smiled as she finalized it and swiveled her chair backwards towards the file cabinet behind her. No one knew it was a file cabinet since it was encased in dark wood and looked like a tall bookcase but that's how the university worked.

Secret and secure.

"Maybe if we wait outside the door for awhile we can stall till class ends…" Tsunade rolled her eyes. Leave it to Naruto to try and get out of class, and be so loud about it that he would ruin any chances of getting away with it. Pressing a button on the underside of the desk, the door swung open to reveal Naruto.

"I doubt you can afford to miss anymore class Naruto." Grumbling, Naruto entered first then Sasuke.

"Why did you call us in so early Granny?" Tsunade rolled her eyes at Naruto's name for her. Even though she didn't have a single gray hair or any wrinkles, from the start Naruto had been set on calling her that.

"Did you complete the mission?" Sasuke who had been leaning on the wall till then came forward and started on everything that had happened. Tsunade listened carefully and attentively, glad she had sent them to complete the job.

"Did you get the box?" Eagerly Tsunade leaned forward, resting her hands on her desk and glancing between the two.

Sasuke nodded and held it up.

In Sasuke's hands was a long, black marble box. On the outside were carvings of blue symbols and as Sasuke placed it on the desk the symbols glinted from the sun coming through the window.

Tsunade smiled as she stood up over the marble box. Oh how long they had waited for this. The tracking, the unsureness, the fear of failing, the fear of being _caught_.

"So you did get it, good job," Tsunade motioned with her hand to the door while her other hand lightly touched the smooth marble. "And just in time too."

Sasuke's face remained emotionless as he turned around to close the door, shutting out the outside world from their affairs.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My eyes fluttered open as I rolled over. I felt sunshine rays warm my face as the sun just barely peaked over the horizon.

"What a way to wake up," I mumbled to myself as I glanced at the clock. Okay maybe not a way to wake up, considering it was only six in the morning. But even that didn't hinder my contentedness as I laid there in happiness, glad to have had such a long sleep and even gladder to have had a dreamless night. A weird thing to be happy about but a relief none the less.

No Jackasses, no drowning, no battles or blood. What a way to sleep. Even though I did feel a little sad that there was no hot Jackass to kiss me in my dream, I quickly pushed it away. No way was I going to dream about some Jackass kissing me when he was that mean in reality. Screw the fact that he was somewhat decent in my dreams.

Figuring I wouldn't get back to sleep now, I slid out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Even though I had showered last night I felt the need to shower again. As I stood in the shower my mind wandered back to the plane ride. I knew I would have to explain everything to Auntie and I tried to remember every detail, not that it was that hard.

I went back to when I had been cupping the water, ready to splash it on my face. The plane had lurched as it hit a bump of air and I had fallen forward. My hands had come up to stop myself from slamming into the mirror, completely forgetting about the water that they had been cupping. After that I couldn't really remember what had happened. I did remember the shock and fear though of seeing the water turned ice on the mirror.

A tingle ran up my spine as the image burned itself further into my mind. I fell against the wall as my back erupted into spasms of tingles, black spots covering up my sight. The mirror of ice was in my mind again, the water freezing up and cracking and suddenly not just the water was freezing up.

The ice slowly traveled down the mirror and over the sink. Crackling was all I heard along with my labored breathing as the ice left a pathway of clear harness behind it. It made it finally to my feet and I stared in fear as my feet slowly turned blue and cold. The ice spread over my toes and up my ankles. My calves were the next target and I cried out as my knees were consumed in icy coldness. The clear ice spread in a mass up over my stomach quickly, way to quickly, and finally made its way towards my shoulders.

For a moment I wished he was here, protecting me like in my other dreams. But that thought disappeared as quickly as it had come for I knew that he wasn't. I was on my own here, and no one was going to come help me.

"Oh god—stop p-please...c-cold, too cold-d." I faintly heard words coming from my mouth but I didn't care what I was spewing out. The tips of my fingers were consumed and I sat there shivering in coldness as the clear ice covered all of me.

The shivering continued and I realized my eyes were closed. I opened them to find myself back in the shower, shivering and naked on the ground. What had happened? I glanced down at my shivering hands and decided I could think later after I had stopped freezing my ass off.

_How did the water turn off?_ I thought to myself as I slowly got up and wrapped my arms around myself to stop the shivering. I glanced up at the knobs of the shower and felt my neck scream in protest as my head snapped up again, staring at the nozzle of the shower.

"Holy...oh my—" I clenched a hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming.

_Not again, please not again._

The water that had been coming out of the shower nozzle was suspended in midair. It looked like someone had taken a remote and pressed pause as the water came out of the shower nozzle. I realized I had pressed myself into a corner in fear and I swallowed the lump in my throat as I reached out towards the floating water, a surge of courage making me do this, something that I would not normally do.

What was going on? Why did this keep happening? At least it wasn't ice...yet? One thing I was glad for was the fact that it wasn't trying to kill me.

My fingers touched one of the streams of water droplets and it rolled down my finger and down my arm till it fell from my elbow. I reached out farther and watched as more water became unstuck from my touch and rolled down my arm.

I let go of my mouth, sure I wouldn't scream now, and my other hand reached out to touch the water droplets also. Even thought it was freaky, it was also kind of cool and unreal. I wondered if I was dreaming and thought better of it because I knew my dreams didn't consist of things like this. They consisted of Jackasses and meadows.

Now that my heartbeat was back to normal I tried to imagine what had happened.

I remembered the tingles and sliding down the wall as my vision transformed my surroundings to the little bathroom on the plane. The coldness of the ice was still in my mind and sent a shiver down my back as I remembered the advancing of the ice till it consumed me.

In my mind I saw what should have happened in any normal situation, if any of this could be called normal. I saw myself rise up from the ground as the water continued to spray out of the shower nozzle. I would have gotten out, gotten dress, and gone to get something to eat.

But this wasn't normal. Water didn't just freeze in midair. Ever.

It was supposed to flow and _move._

The water suddenly came back to life, spraying me in the face and making me screech. I slammed open the shower door, coughing as water went down the wrong airway and hurried out, my mind spinning.

"Shit—" I fell to the floor, the floor cutting me off before I could continue my swearing rant. My foot throbbed from banging into the shower door, and my body was racked with coughs but I crawled away from the shower stall anyways, trying to get away. Once I was far enough away and my coughing had stopped I scrambled to my feet and stumbled over to the towel rack, wrapping one around myself.

I glanced back at the shower stall, wondering whether I should approach the shower of hell and turn off the water or not. Should I risk another unreal accident or get out of here?

_Auntie will get pissed if I let the bathroom flood. _Using that as an excuse, I approached the shower stall and with shaky fingers quickly turned it off.

Nearly wetting myself, I high tailed it out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. I clutched the towel to my chest as I stood there next to my bed, staring out the window as I tried to think straight.

My heartbeat slowed again and I wondered when I would have a heart attack. My heartbeat had been so crazy lately I wouldn't be surprised if it was soon.

Thinking proved to be too much and I decided getting dressed would be the next best thing to do. Not that I didn't mind getting out of the room as quickly as possible, the farther away from the bathroom the better, but I did mind walking around half naked. No thank you.

"Clothes...where are you?" I scrambled around like a headless chicken, trying to find my clothes. I walked into the humongous closet and grabbed some jeans and a white shirt before going back into the bedroom. I threw those on the bed searched for the underwear drawer.

"Oh wow." I felt a blush appear on my face. I started to wonder who had gone out and bought these clothes for me. I figured it must have been Auntie Tsunade. Who else would buy me Victoria Secret, piles and piles of Victoria Secret, which was not only personal but something Auntie Tsunade would sneakily totally do. Go off and buy me a small pile of clothes, and get a huge drawer full of underwear. At least I wouldn't have to worry about running out of underwear for awhile.

I searched through the piles for the most non-revealing underwear, which was proving difficult. Everything was thongs, or less if you could call a little stingy piece of cloth underwear, or some lacy low cut bra.

I heard something move behind me and I spun around, a scream unwillingly coming out of my mouth before I could stop it.

There stood Jackass in all his glory. His white button up Ralph Lauren long sleeve shirt somehow caught the light and accented his toned body. His loose jeans hung off his hips perfectly, a little hole at the bottom catching my attention. I would have thought he was too stuck up to let his pants get holes in them.

As much as I wanted to let myself wander off into drool land I couldn't, wouldn't. I felt my towel slip a little and I remembered that I was standing there in the middle of the room in only a towel. Standing there half naked for Jackass' eyes to see was currently on the bottom of my lists to do, or on the top of my lists to never do, for sure.

He raised an eyebrow as I glared at him.

"Get out," I shouted and picked up the first thing I could get my hands on. I threw it at his face and it hit dead on. Only then did I realize what I had thrown. Just my luck...it was a thong.

A thong, of all things!

I could feel the blush forming on my face but I couldn't stop from laughing. The panties slid down his face before falling. He caught them at the last minute and his shocked expression turned into a glare.

Even though I could feel the hole forming from his glare I ignored it and gave him a smug smile.

"Next time you burst in like that, you might get a whole lot more than just some clean panties," I told him as he turned briskly and walked out of the room. The door slammed behind him.

"Stupid Jackass...what else does he expect when he comes in without knocking?" I muttered to myself.

I was about to put on my jeans but I stopped in surprise. I sat down on the bed and pulled my left knee up to my face. Not a scratch or even a scar. I pulled up my other knee and found it scratchless too.

Huh. Now I was healing quickly too? Could my day get any weirder? I stopped that thought because I knew for a fact that it could.

I slipped on the jeans, wondering what the hell was going on. I towel dried my hair and suddenly remembered my hands had been scratched up too. Inspecting my hands I found them just as healed as my knees.

Deciding that now would be a good time to talk to Auntie, if she was awake that is, I headed down the hall.

As I descended the staircase I heard someone in the bathroom. At first I thought it was Auntie till I heard them singing what sounded like an off key "I Feel Like a Woman." I stopped in my tracks wondering who would be in the bathroom this early in the morning.

"I feeeeeeel like a womaaaaan...wait...where's the toilet paper? There's no toilet paper, what's the world coming to? I need toilet paper, someone help me!" I rolled my eyes as Naruto's screech became familiar. I decided to let him find it, considering it was next to the toilet and not that hard to find.

I turned the corner and walked into the kitchen humming. My step faltered as Auntie Tsunade suddenly stopped speaking quietly to Jackass.

"I hope you are feeling better Sakura?" Her warm smile made me feel better, even though I was still suspicious about the secret whispering.

"Yes Auntie, thank you." I glanced at Jackass who suddenly looked away. "Are we going to talk now?"

"Why don't you get something to eat then come down to my office," she suggested. I nodded and she turned and left the kitchen. I glanced in his direction again before I walked past him towards the refrigerator.

Suddenly my appetite wasn't so great, which made me mad because there was all this good food in the fridge and I couldn't even get up the hunger for it. Did Auntie know what was happening to me? I hoped she did because I sure as hell didn't have any answers. None, zero, nada.

I sighed and grabbed a water bottle, yes I was going to chance drinking water even though it might spring up and start dancing, before sitting down at the counter a couple seats away from Jackass.

I fiddled with the cap for a couple minutes, the scraping of the cap filling the silence before I turned to Jackass.

"What are you doing here?" I stared at him, waiting for him to give me some kind of smartass remark.

"Headmaster called us in." Okay, it wasn't a smartass remark, but he was still a Jackass.

"For what?"

"What does it matter to you?" I gaped at his rudeness before I looked away. Well if he wanted to sit here and be rude then he could do it, alone.

I got up and looked through some of the drawers for a sharpie to mark my water bottle before giving up and just placing it in the refrigerator. It was difficult to pick a place in the refrigerator since I was afraid I would forget it was there. Finally I chose the spot right in front and just as I was closing the door I felt a slight tug on the back of my shirt.

My instincts kicked in as I spun around and started hitting at whatever was behind me. Before my fists could connect with anything solid they were held in the steel grip of none other than Jackass and I was pushed back against the refrigerator by my wrists.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I hated that my breathing was labored as if I had ran a couple of miles. I tried to reason with myself that it was just all the scaring I had been through these last couple of days, and not the man in front of me.

Who was very close.

And very hot.

And very..._oh just shut up before you start moaning because of your very unhelpful imagination._

I tried to release my wrists from his caged hands but he just stared at me as I struggled. My damp hair slapped everywhere, sticking to the refrigerator and my neck as I tried to push him back. I finally gave up and opted to glare at him.

The nerve of him. First he's mean to me, then rude, and then he's lifting my shirt like I'm...like I'm going to let him! _You want to let him lift it, oh so very much._

"Do you have a tattoo?" My rambling mind came to a screeching halt as I stared up at him. A tattoo, seriously? Not only was he mean but he was crazy.

"No, I'd rather not grow to be fifty regretting every single day that I have a tattoo. What does that have to do with you _lifting my shirt_?" My voice rose in anger as I yanked on my held wrists in for emphasis.

"Are you sure?"

I gaped at him. Wouldn't I know if I had gotten a tattoo or not? Clearly, he didn't believe I did.

"I do not have any tattoos, now if you would let me go please," the words seethed out from between my teeth as I looked him straight in the eye. His eyes were just as black as they had been in my dreams, without the red, and I wondered if his lips were just as soft as in the dream.

Whoa. Back it up there Sakura, no need to be thinking like that. Coming out of that little fantasy, I realized I had been gazing at his lips. Way to look desperate Sakura. Embarrassingly enough, my face started to heat up and I looked past his shoulder, trying to get my face back to its normal color.

I could feel his stare on me, scrutinizing every inch of my face, until finally he released my wrists and stepped back. His face stayed emotionless as he went back to his seat.

My body screamed at the loss of his body, even though I told it to deal with it and get over it. Well that was just weird. Very, very weird. And just a little flustering. Was it warm in here or was it just me? Glancing at Sasuke I decided it was just me.

I wasn't quite sure what to do now that he was sitting there acting like nothing had just happened. Like he hadn't just pushed me against the refrigerator and asked if I had any tattoos. But he totally did just do that, and I was at a loss for words. He didn't seem to care, but I sure did. Who goes around lifting shirts and asking about tattoos? Mental patients, maybe. Weird people, sure. But hot Jackasses that have no emotion whatsoever? Not so much, if ever.

_Now would be a good time to go see Auntie before your list of questions grows even longer._ I thought, my mind threatening to explode with all this weirdness. No need to stay and give him another chance to cage me against a refrigerator. Cause that was rude, and hot. _Oh shut up, no one asked you._

Straightening my shirt I gave him one last glare before leaving the room. And definitely no need to stay and check out his muscles that showed through his shirt and his perfectly messy hair and perfectly loose jeans and perfectly, well everything.

For a moment I wished with all my being that he was like in my dreams. Nice instead of rude was definitely the way to go, especially with those looks.

The oak door of Auntie's office appeared in front of me and I realized I had walked here, lost in my thoughts, without even paying attention to where I was going. I shook my head before knocking. No need to be thinking about Jackass when there were more important things at hand.

Instead of automatically opening the door my Auntie got up and opened it herself. She greeted me with a smile and a hug before going back to sit behind her desk. She took a bottle and stored it somewhere under her huge desk. I had to fight to not to roll my eyes, same old Auntie, getting thirsty this early in the morning.

She motioned to the couch and stood by her desk while I sat down. Her eyes roamed my face and slid down my shoulders until they rested on my hands. It looked like she was looking for something so I glanced down at my hands, extending my fingers to see if there was anything there.

Nope, nothing.

"I didn't expect this to happen so soon," Auntie muttered to herself. "But I should have known."

"Known what?" I asked. My heart thudded in my chest, my nerves making my stomach twist. She stared at me, contemplating how to start, where to start. "You can tell me, I'll listen." I just hoped I could believe whatever she was about to dish out at me.

She nodded and sighed, rubbing her hands together as if ready to tell a story. What she said next shocked me, and I knew that this was going to be a long morning.

"Thousands of years ago the world almost came to an end, but you helped save us all."

I stared at her in confusion. Thousands of years ago? That wasn't possible.

"But I wasn't alive thousands of years ago, I wasn't even alive a hundred years ago." I shook my head at the possibility. It was impossible, nothing like this had ever happened, really happened in history. As much as I trusted Auntie, this was too much, too unreal to actually happen.

"Because you died when you sealed the Gates of Inner Hell," Auntie told me as her eyes held a sadness I couldn't comprehend.

"But...I-I'm alive now. Are you saying I reincarnated?"

"Yes, when your parents saw their little baby was the reincarnated Guardian, again, they were beyond shocked."

"Again? You say that like..." I trailed off, the possibilities endless.

"They have been living for thousands of years, in heaven, and when they found out your mother was pregnant they came to Earth to have you, only they didn't know you were...you."

"And they just fell from the sky?" I wanted to laugh in disbelief at all of this, but something inside of me _believed_ it. Knew it was true and wouldn't let it go, wouldn't let me disbelieve.

"There is another dimension just like this one. That is where Heaven is. When they gave up their wings they committed themselves to this dimension and the dangers that came with it."

"But in my dream we had wings, and markings, and—"

"Your dream? What have you been dreaming of?"

"Well, wars and a meadow with this pond that I could stand on, and that guy. He had black wings and these black markings on his arms—you were looking at my arms to check for markings weren't you." It all suddenly clicked and I understood.

I sunk back into the couch as I realized that these dreams were old memories. They weren't dreams, they were real things that happened to me thousands of years ago.

"Yes but I'm guessing they haven't totally evolved yet since you are in this dimension. Your dreams, what else did they show?"

I tried to think past all this new information. "Well, there was one where I was in this dome of water, but it was just a dream." Even though I believed that the war and everything had happened, I couldn't even begin to believe that being in that dome of water in the middle of pond was even possible.

Right?

"Even though it is far fetched Sakura, it is true. Do you think you have been dreaming these last few days with all the strange occurrences?" She looked me dead in the eye.

I stared down at my hands, not even realizing till now that they were shaking.

"You're different Sakura, both in this dimension and the other, and these things happening to you are going to keep happening unless you control them."

"How can I control this if I don't even know what _it_ is?" I clenched my hands in anger. Why me? Why couldn't I just be some plain wallflower who lived her life normally? Why did I have to have these weird things happening to me, out of all the billions of people in this world?

"With our help you can," she said as she walked around her desk and sat down at it, her hands coming to clasp together. "You were the Chosen Guardian, are the Chosen Guardian, and always will be the Chosen Guardian."

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So here's the drill: click, opinionate, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words :) or click, flame, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words

Haha just kidding! I don't even think opinionate is a word, but here is my definition for it. Opinionate: to type up your opinion and submit it for Riddler-of-Words to read. Even flames are welcomed because all critism from the readers will help me on making the story better.

So yeah, chapter three is down! I wasn't sure how to end this, like every other chapter, because I wanted to go into depth with everything but I finally figured that would make a good next chapter. Sorry everyone who was waiting for some super explaining action to go on, even though I'm pretty sure everyone has a good idea now of what is happening but let's just wait till next chapter till we start guessing okay?

Thank you for reading and see you next chapter!


	4. Four

Hopefully you all are enjoying the story so far. I honestly never knew story a writing would be so difficult and complicated. I mean others make it look so easy but I guess it's just my need to make everything perfect. All these little details and planning makes it so much harder. I guess making it vague would have been easier but a story with a structure is always the most enjoyable.

The beginning is sort of like explaining everything so if it is confusing then please tell me. I promise it'll get better after all the explaining is done but until then please bare with me.

Warning: This was only proof read once, unlike all the others that were proof read multiple times, so just be aware that not all mistakes were caught. I wanted to get this posted before I went camping so please understand and enjoy!

Regular

Thoughts

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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S

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Enjoy

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The moonlight illuminated the hooded figure that slinked through the forest. He stuck to the shadows, or more yet the shadows clung to him, the overhanging trees providing the perfect coverage, him being afraid to be seen by anyone who decided to take a midnight walk through the forest.

A clearing appeared ahead of him and he quickened his pace until he broke through the ring of trees.

In the middle of the large clearing stood four large rocks in a circle with weird, ancient looking carvings on them. Even though they seemed to have been there for thousands of years their surfaces were smooth, not a chip of stone having fallen off. The ancient symbols twisted and curled, like black smoke, down the rocks and seemed to disappear into the ground. The dirt surrounding the rocks was black and hard.

The hooded figure could feel the dark aura around the rocks and the carvings seemed to writhe on the rocks as he approached.

"I have been released at last, now I release you from your bindings as well to serve me once more," he murmured. A knife appeared out of no where and glinted in the moonlight.

"Ι διοίκηση σας να αυξηθεί και να χρησιμεύσει μου. Ι διοίκηση να λάβετε εκδίκηση." He grew louder as he sliced open his hand and walked towards the nearest rock. The upside down bloodied cross dripped blood down the stone. The blood slowly slipped down the rock, moving so that it slid down the carvings, tracing them. None of the blood dripped off the rock, it stayed neatly inside the caved symbols till it touched the ground.

"Rise and serve," he screamed to the skies, his voice echoing through the clearing and forest.

The clearing darkened as the clouds moved to cover the moonlight. Other hooded figures ascended from the tree line and stood behind their master, their hands raised towards the rocks.

"Break free and take your revenge." The hooded figure stepped back after he had finished with the last rock.

The dark clearing filled with a powerful aura as the wind picked up.

A cracking noise sounded through the clearing as the little pieces started to chip off the rocks. The cracking noise grew louder as more pieces fell off and the wind became stronger in response. The rocks started to take the shape of humans, their arms crossed over their chest and their legs spread to hold themselves upright.

Faces started to form along with the chains that bound them to their eternal cages. Their stone bodies shifted and struggled for freedom, creating an unreal sight.

The hooded figure stepped forward and flicked his dagger at each of the stone figures, his blood searing the chairs. The stone figures stopped for a second to let the blood break a hole in the chains before they spread their arms and broke apart the chains holding them.

The last of the stone fell away from each to reveal thousands of years old dirt. The dirt slid down their limbs till they were bared to the world.

The hooded figure smirked, victory was his. "Are you ready for justice?"

"After thousands of years we are more than ready."

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Tessares.

4.

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I was the Chosen Guardian.

Even though I had no clue what that meant, or what it would mean in the future, it felt right. This feeling inside of me was telling me that she was right.

Auntie Tsunade sat at her desk and waited for me to sort everything out in my mind. Even though I was scared out of my mind and clueless as to what this meant, I accepted it. Clenching my shaking hands into fists, I stood and approached her desk, accepting my fate.

"What exactly is the Chosen Guardian?" Auntie Tsunade smiled at my acceptance and stood up, her fingers splayed out on the papers of her desk.

"Thousands of years ago you used your abilities to lock away the most dangerous Satanist ever known to both dimensions. This was after the biggest war known to man ever, between Satanists and Angels."

"Satanists and Angels? What abilities?"

"In the other dimension Satanists are the occupants of Hell, the world for the dark hearted. Angels are the occupants of Heaven, the world of the good hearted." She paused and seemed to think about something before shaking her head and turning back to me.

"Now don't get me wrong, there are stained hearts in Heaven and pure hearts in Hell, but they are rare. This dimension holds a gateway to both but they are both sealed. There is a gateway between the Heaven and Hell also but you have to have extreme power to be able to break through it, and no one knows how to get through, it was never written. When the Satanists started coming through this gateway things started going bad. Not only did Orochimaru come through to take over Heaven and Earth, but he opened a portal or an opening that let other Satanists come through." She sighed and stared at me, questioning with her eyes if I was getting all this.

"So we are on the sides of the Angels. And those people that came after me were Satanists," I said, more to myself so I understood than to her. She froze for a second before spinning around to me.

"Came after, as in they came after you and tried to kill you, or they threatened you," She questioned as she came forward towards me, her eyes urgent and surprised. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I guess I never got the chance to and both, the first time they tried to kill me and the second time I was threatened." I stared up at her as her face contorted into murderous rage.

"_Twice,_ twice! This is bad indeed if they have already tracked you down." She started to pace before suddenly stopping and facing me. "Have you had any strange occurrences before they showed up? Any at all."

I tried to think back past that. It was hard considering my life had been flipped around in a matter of a couple days, something I didn't know was possible until it had happened.

"I don't think so," I told her. "No, I would have remembered if anything had."

She nodded before she started muttering to herself. A crease came between her eyebrows and she walked behind her desk and grabbed the bottle from earlier before taking a long drink from it. Sighing at the effects of the sake, the crease disappeared and her shoulders relaxed.

"So from what I've heard, your abilities were awakened when they appeared. What did they look like?"

"There were two of them with silver hair and black eyes, identical. I don't know how they did it but they just formed out of the shadows, was that their ability?"

Auntie nodded, a smile forming at my quick understanding.

"Yes it was. Those twins are sneaky and difficult, they can go through the shadows if the shadows are connected. What happened to them, what happened when they attacked," she questioned me.

"I came back from class and thought someone broke in but then they just appeared. They were asking for something but I didn't know what it was—"

"Ah…after all these thousands of years they still have no clue," she cut me off before I could finish but I didn't care. I wanted to know what they had been looking for, what I supposedly had that I didn't even know about.

"What were they looking for Auntie?"

"They were looking for the Holy Grail, still after all this time, and they still believe you have it."

I stared at her, confused. The Holy…Grail. The myth about the knights that took the Holy Grail and hid it so no one could find it and get their little greedy hands on? This whole thing was for some little silver cup.

A silver cup…

"Don't give me that look Sakura, and no it isn't a little plastic cup or whatever it was they were using at the time the myth was made, it's hard to keep up with all the time periods."

"If it isn't a cup then what is it?"

"Now that I cannot say because it is not my place." I glared at her. People were coming after me for it and she couldn't tell me? I took a deep breath, ready to argue but I let it out in a whoosh before any words came out. What was the point? Auntie Tsunade wouldn't tell me no matter what I did.

"But why would they think I have it when I don't even know what it is?" Nothing made sense. I didn't even know what the Holy Grail was and people were coming after me for it. Did I have it somewhere without knowing? Not possible, I would know if the Holy Grail was in my apartment considering it would probably be glowing from lights coming out of it. And if it was in my apartment then they would have found it. "Or where it is for that matter."

"With time you will come to realize what and where it is, but there is one thing that I can tell you. If someone was to realize what it was, someone very bad, and get their hands on it, that would be very bad. The Holy Grail possesses great powers that can either bring down the fine lines of life, or save them. But we don't need to worry about someone getting to it because the Holy Grail is in safe hands," she told me while she went back to her desk and leaned against it.

"Now, what happened to the twins, did they escape?" She asked me and I froze. Oh god. I hadn't really thought about what had happened to them till now. I guess my mind had sort of blocked that notion out, only thinking about how they had been surrounded in ice.

"I-I killed them, I didn't mean to...it just happened, the ice—"

"Ice, already? What happened, specifically?"

"I don't know. One minute I was on the ground, wanting to live, and the next minute they were…encased in ice. I have no clue how I did it," I told her truthfully. My head dropped at the realization that I had killed them, something that shamed me and made me guiltier beyond anything that I had ever done in my life.

"You did kill them Sakura, but they have taken too many lives and done far too many bad things for you to be upset over it."

I gaped at her, relief flowing through me. Her words made me feel better even though there was still a little thread of guilt left.

"But with _ice_, not water, but ice," Tsunade sagged against the desk in shock. "Normally someone who has an ability only has that one, but there are special ones that have a more advanced control over the ability, and that causes their ability to be more...powerful and different."

"So I have an advanced ability over water and ice?"

"You could say that, but it is more of an advanced ability over water which allows you to turn the water to ice. It is very complicated and those with advanced abilities tend to have more trouble controlling them," she told me. "Also it is hard for those with elemental connections. You feel close to the element and can sense it."

No wonder I was having problems with my _ability_, it was advanced. Great, just what I needed. People are hunting me for some object I don't have and the only way I can think of to fight them is my ability, which will probably go haywire and kill me instead of them. And connected to it? Even better. I'm suppose to have some personal connection to it which so far hasn't happened, more like the element has scared me shitless. No personal feelings of connection there.

Auntie seemed to sense my distress and said, "You can control it, but you have to feel it within you and embrace it instead of fearing it and trying to fight it. You have to understand that it is a part of you and in itself_ is_ you. It is like your soul, your heart, your mind, your feelings. It is another piece of you."

"But what if it turns on me?" I didn't care that I sounded weak or frightened, that's how I felt.

"Sakura your ability will never harm you, in any way, I promise you that." She stayed silent as I mulled it over. So far it hadn't hurt me at all, just scared me. And it had actually helped me the first time. Not so much the second and third, but there hadn't been any harm or threat there.

Deciding she was right I decided to ask another question that was nagging at me. "So thousands of years ago I had this same power?"

"Yes but we didn't find out until your abilities had evolved."

"You say that like you were actually there," I told her while I stood up. My feet were starting to fall asleep and all this information was making me fidgety.

"I was there, now don't look so shocked. People with abilities tend to live longer, way longer, than humans," she told me with a smile. I gaped at her, she had been here for thousands of years, and I would have too if I hadn't died. I flinched, I had died. I wonder how I had died, and how it had felt. Had it hurt or had I just faded away?

"What is your ability? How did I die? What was my past life like? What was I like?"

"Slow down Sakura, one question at a time," she told me while laughing freely, as if we were talking about the latest movie or the weather. "I can heal others and myself, but it takes a great deal of energy and understanding of the body. Let's see, you died locking up Orochimaru, the worst Satanist in history, and the most powerful. Your past life was thousands of years ago, no need to dwell on it, and I bet you already have some good ideas of your past life with those dreams. And you were just like you are now; a lot of questions and you accepted your fate just as easily as you did now."

I breathed out a sigh. Everything was being answered, maybe not the way I would have liked it to, but it was still being answered.

"In my dreams, there was a man…" I trailed off, my face heating up. Was Jackass somehow in my past life? If he had, had he been living for thousands of years, or had he died too? I felt my heart strings tug in pain as I tried to imagine him dying.

"Ah yes, I was starting to wonder when you would mention him since I assumed he would show up in your dreams," she told me with a small secret smile on her face. "And let me guess…he looked just like Sasuke Uchiha."

So that was his name. I guess it fit, in a jackass kind of way. I felt my face heat up at the thought of what she knew, I bet it was way past red and going for purple now. My hands started to sweat in embarrassment and I felt my scalp start to prickle as the embarrassing heat seeped into my scalp. My mood turned sour at the mention of his name as tingles erupted down my spine.

Ignoring them as best as I could, I asked, "What was he to me in my past life?"

"That doesn't matter now, but know this, keep him close because he might prove to be more helpful than you think," she told me with a knowing smile on her face. I glared at her, not even wanting to think about what she knew that I didn't, which was a lot I bet. One thing I knew though, based on my dreams, was that he had meant something to me. But if he had meant something to me then why was he so rude to me now?

"Did he die like me, or did he live?"

"He died protecting you."

"Protecting me from what?"

"Orochimaru. The sacrifice is what gave you enough drive to lock him up in the Inner Pits of Hell."

I felt the strings of my heart tug even more as some sad emotion came over me. He had sacrificed himself for me, for everyone.

"What's wrong with your neck Sakura?" I glanced up, coming out of my thoughts, and gave her a questioning look. I realized that my hand had been rubbing my neck now for some time, ever since the tingles had appeared from the mention of Sasuke's name.

"Oh it's nothing, just my back has been feeling weird lately," I told her while I dropped my hand. Compared to everything else going on, I doubted this was anywhere near the top of my list of things to figure out.

"Let me see, I do have an ability for healing so if anything is wrong then I can help." She smiled and motioned for me to turn around. I moved my now dry hair out of the way and with my free hand lifted the back of my shirt.

I heard a gasp come from her before I felt her cool finger tips moving up my back. They twisted and curved around my shoulders and back down along my spine. The way her fingers moved made me thing of someone tracing lines along a painting.

"Your back…" I couldn't tell if she was hesitating or if her voice had gotten caught in her throat, something that almost never happened to her.

"What's wrong? What's on my back?" I asked, nervous and curious at the same time. I tried to look over my shoulder to see but it proved hopeless. I wish I had a mirror so I could see what she was seeing, but I would have to wait till later to look.

"Your markings run up your back."

"My _what_?" I glanced over my shoulder at her. Her eyes were slightly wider than normal, in shock.

"When your ability awakens, the markings start to appear on your skin slowly till they have evolved, but yours are far more advanced than I would have thought after just one encounter—"

"Three." I corrected her, blushing in shame at not telling her…yet. Keyword, yet. I was planning to tell her but I hadn't gotten a chance to _yet_.

"—with danger. Ah yes three. Wait, what? There were other encounters with them?" Her fingers on my back stopped.

"Well there were three encounters with my water abilities, one being when they first showed up, and another encounter after, but my abilities didn't show up that time. I'm pretty sure that they were Satanists, they all looked the same with silver hair and black eyes and abilities."

"Hmm, well that might explain why your markings are so far along. The water encounters are normal, that is what helps it evolve, till your abilities are far enough along that you can control them on your own. They were, who was the other one that you encountered?"

"She looked like the others but she could read my mind, and she said something about not being able to kill me," I left my hair to drape over my shoulder while I scratched at my neck again, another tingle coursing through my back. Auntie Tsunade seemed to sense it because she started to rub my back, up and down till the tingle stopped.

"Ahh yes, evil little thing even though she looks no older than ten, but trust me she is much older, her name is Masa. It is easy to evade her mind reading, but it is hard to not think the whole time. She is a very hard opponent, considering she can read your mind and figure out what you are going to do before you even think it. But you can avoid that by going on instinct, not thoughts, which I will teach you." She continued to rub my back, and even though I couldn't see what my markings looked like I knew she was tracing them.

"Are you going to teach me how to control my abilities also?" I hoped she would for I didn't trust myself to learn it myself. Three scares in the last couple of days proved that much.

"Oh yes, I wouldn't leave you in the dark on that, never! You cannot possibly understand how to control it without my help," she reassured me softly.

"When I learn how to handle my abilities, will the tingles stop?"

"Well, how do I explain this...they are not exactly a bad thing. It is your ability trying to break free of it's restraint, which isn't a bad thing. I guess you could say that is part of how it evolves and grows."

"And how do I let it break free?" I had no clue how I would ever get the hang of all of this. The last thing I wanted was to drown myself accidently or fall into a lake, or make the lake come to me. Was that even possible? Right about now I was ready to believe anything was possible.

"It's different for everyone. For some it is easy and others it isn't. I remember for mine it had been harder. I had the tingles for awhile and could only heal small things like paper cuts, but one day my mate was hurt so badly he almost died and the binds just snapped. I was able to heal him mostly, since I ran out of energy before I could heal him all the way, but enough that he lived." She slowly stopped rubbing my back, I almost groaned as she stopped because it had felt so good. "It very complicated. Our great abilities are used to protect the ones closest to us, along with those around us."

"But…what if I have nothing to protect?" I know it sounded weird, and horrible, but I really didn't have anyone to protect. No family besides Auntie and she was perfectly safe. No friends to keep safe. I suddenly realized how alone I had been since I left high school, no…since my parents had died.

"Then until you figure out what to use your abilities for, you do not need them and they will remain as they are." I felt a fear erupt in me. What if I needed my abilities to protect myself and they weren't strong enough? Was I not important enough to myself to save myself? As soon as I thought the thought I felt bad. Here I was worrying about myself when my abilities were to save others.

I looked at Tsunade and all my fears about my abilities disappeared. Whatever trouble I would run into, she would be there right beside me, helping me.

"So, that is enough for now Sakura. Let's get you settled in your dorm and you will have a class tonight but it's only Human Theory, an easy and somewhat boring class," she said with a laugh. "I took the liberty of buying you some clothes, hopefully all in your size, and furnishing your dorm room."

"Oh, that wasn't necessary, I could have gone out and bought what I needed—"

"Nonsense, I'm not going to let you waste your money on little things like clothes and furniture, things you need. Save your money for things you don't need." She laughed while walking behind her desk and lifting up a bag. "I also bought you the books you need. Unfortunately we don't have the same exact classes that your old university had, but I enrolled you in some classes that are similar. I also decided that it was time you learned defense and weapon handling." She paused for a minute as if she were lost in a another memory.

I stared at her, waiting for her to come back to reality. Her eyes focused again and she snapped, her eyes flicking to me. "I had almost forgotten…your parents had taught you martial arts and how to handle a katana—"

"But that was more than ten years ago. If I had remembered any of it—" she cut me off like I'd cut her off.

"It's still in you Sakura. They didn't go through all that trouble just for your body to forget it, your rusty, that's understandable, but not for long." There was a glint in her eye, a determined one. I knew what to expect with her, she was my Auntie after all. When she was given a challenge she met it head on, determination making her strive till she accomplished everything she was meant to, and more.

I could feel the bruises form just thinking about what she had in store for me. The long hours of practice, the aching muscles, the sweat dripping down my back and arms as I practiced. It had been over ten years since then, but I would never forget what it felt like. I remembered the hard work, the determination to get to the top, the need to prove myself, and the feeling of accomplishment. Even though I knew it would be hard, harder than before because I was older now and could handle more, I looked forward to it.

"I'd like that, it's been so long and I can't wait to start training again," I told her with a smile. She winked back at me before handing me my bag and some papers. Glancing at them I found I was in Human Theory, a Problem and Solution based Biology Course, and a Psychology Course.

The bag was heavy, containing all the textbooks I would need for these courses which were multiple thick, new smelling books.

I looked forward to starting classes again. To be able to think again, well about something besides my now hectic life, would be a relief. A smile came to my face as an excited feeling formed in the pit of my stomach.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Auntie had spoken to her secretary, telling her she was leaving the office for a while to show me to my dorm. The secretary, whose name I learned was Shizune, nodded and went back to her work. She didn't scream at Auntie, telling her that she couldn't just walk out of the office or that there was a meeting in five minutes that she must have forgotten all about, she acted like this was normal. Acted as if Auntie walked out of the office all the time, and I didn't doubt for a moment she did. She was just like that.

"So you're studying in Pre-Med?" She asked me as we exited the big brick building. I nodded in response. It was a nice day out and she suggested we walk to my dorm instead of driving. We crossed the street and cut across the grass lawn towards a huge park.

"That's what I majored it. If you ever need help just ask and I'll be glad to answer any questions," she told me while we walked down the parkway path. Huge cherry blossoms draped over the pathway, shading us from the sweltering sun.

"Thanks, I'll definitely take you up on that offer."

"Yes the courses are difficult, and it'll take a couple of years till your achievements are worth it, but it will be worth it. Plus you have plenty of time."

"I don't understand how the longer lifespan works," I admitted. I looked down at the path we were walking on and kicked a rock. It skidded down the path and disappeared into the lawn.

"Well you will reach a certain age, and then will slowly stop aging. Usually it is the age of twenty-one that you stop aging completely, but at the age of eighteen is when it starts to slow. You will still age, but after a very long time. Look at me for example, after thousands of years I am still here and only in my thirties. These abilities are hard to understand. They were given to the selected in the other dimension to help protect both dimensions, hence the long lifespan. Unfortunately some chose to go to the dark side and hence the Satanists formed, and their abilities turned darker." Her words took on an edge as the memories ran through her mind.

I mulled over everything she had said. It occurred to me that I had never once wondered how the Satanists had come to how they were, which was odd. They were dark and evil, and used their abilities in gruesome ways. Suddenly something else occurred to me.

"But how do you hide, I mean, if you've been around for thousands of years then how do people not get suspicious?"

"Well, it's not that hard. There are certain powerful families that are on our side. They hide us and protect us and some have abilities too." I nodded, understanding completely. The families helped stop any suspicion, and keep the long living on a down low. They were like inside spies, only they were keeping the secrets, not uncovering them.

We walked in silence down the path. Students who passed greeted Auntie and she smiled back and said hello. The pathway crossed the street and led to a row of buildings. I looked at the one in front of us, awed by its size and beauty. It was just like the building Auntie Tsunade stayed it, the same brick structure, the same old architecture, and the same home feeling. I was beginning to think this place was perfect.

She led me down the path, past some of the identical brick buildings till we stopped in front of the one on the end of the street. She opened the door and ushered me inside to a beautiful entryway. White marble columns framed the doorway and the walls were filled with framed pictures of past excelling students, old principles, and famous artwork pieces.

We passed into a room that was bigger than the entryway. I was surprised at the sheer size. From the outside it had seemed smaller, but on the inside it was huge. Huge and magnificent. _No wonder it is the most sought after school in the country._ I thought while looking around.

Students lounged around, watching TV and chatting, reading books, and writing papers or doing homework. As we entered they quieted and stared at us. I stared at my feet while a blush heated up my face, not liking the attention and their stares.

"Good afternoon everyone. Please, continue whatever you were doing, don't worry about us." Auntie Tsunade waved her hand carelessly and that seemed to break the spell everyone was under for they went back to whatever they had been doing, laughter filling the room again, not seeming to mind that the headmaster was right there.

"This is the living room as you can tell. There are TVs in each room so you don't have to come down here to watch one, but if you want to hang out then you can do it here," she led me to the right and through another doorway into a huge kitchen. It had two stainless steel refrigerators, three stoves, a couple microwaves and a lot of cabinets. The counters looked like marble too, but I was beginning to think everything here was marble.

"This is the kitchen. If you ever get hungry feel free to make something. The refrigerators are stocked with healthy food, we like to think that our students are feeding themselves, and on healthy food instead of junk. If you ever have some sugar craving, we do have soda and chips." She pointed to the pantry. She led me back through the living room and back into the entryway. Students came through the front door and left freely, bags hoisted over their shoulders filled with books.

To the left there was a grand staircase that I had failed to see earlier. I don't know why I didn't see it, since it was huge and marble and shiny, but I didn't. We headed towards it and made our way up it.

"These dorms are co-ed so I expect you to be responsible, not that I doubt you are. You will be rooming with an intelligent girl who I trust will help you fit in fine, which is why I roomed you with her," she explained while we walked up the stairs.

"I've never heard of a co-ed dorm anywhere," I commented as we walked down the hallway and up another set of stairs that curved around and around.

"The students here are top notch students with excellent grades and behaviors. We believe them responsible enough to stay in dorms together, plus the co-ed system makes the students thrive rather than drag them down." She stopped at the fourth floor instead of continuing up the spiral staircase to the fifth floor.

The hallway was wide and long. A large window with a seating area was at the end of the hallway, and after glancing behind me I saw the same at the other end of the hallway. We passed other students who also greeted Auntie. Unlike other schools everyone seemed to like her here. I laughed at myself at that thought. Of course everyone liked her, she was the coolest person I knew.

"The boys are on one side of the floor and the girls on the other, same with the bathrooms. At the end of the hallway is the boy's bathroom, and behind us at that end is the girl's hallway. Your room is the room that is right next to the first room of the boy's, on this side." She stopped at a door marked 204 and handed me a silver key. The metal felt cool against my sweaty palms. As much as I was glad to be settling in, I was a little afraid to be away from my Auntie. After everything that had happened so far, I could think of many reasons why.

I slid the key into the lock then unlocked the door. If the room looked anything like the extravagant entryway, living room, and kitchen, I wouldn't be surprised.

Okay maybe a little surprised. Or a lot.

The room was large, and by large I mean huge. The walls were a light red along with wooden floors. There was a small hallway we walked through then we were in the main room. On each side of the spacious room were large fluffy looking beds. One of them held a light blue comforter with white pillows while the one, which I was assuming was mine, held a light pink comforter with light green pillows. There were dressers next to each bed and in between each dresser stood a large window that stretched from the ceiling to the floor. A long cream colored cushioned, backless couch sat perpendicular to the window a couple of feet away from it. I thought it kind of odd that it was placed like this but then I saw the huge screen TV over my bed. A large painting of the ocean sat on the opposite wall over the bed with the light blue comforter.

In the middle of the room stood two metal desks, their backs to each other. Sitting at one of them was a girl with dark blue hair typing on a laptop. Her silver eyes looked up at us as we walked in and her hands stopped flying across the keyboard.

"Wonderful, you're here Hinata." Hinata stood up, a blush coming to her face. "This is my niece Sakura, Sakura this is Hinata, your new roommate."

"Hi, nice to meet you." I shook her outstretched hand.

"Nice to meet you too," she responded in a soft voice. Her blush remained on her face as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"Well, I'll leave you then to get settled Sakura. Hinata you have a class this evening right?" Hinata nodded, her blush becoming redder. "Would you mind showing Sakura where her classes are? I would do it but I have a conference meeting." Hinata nodded her head yes and I felt a surge of relief rush through me. At least I wouldn't have to wander around trying to find where to go. How embarrassing would that be if I came in half an hour late because I got lost? Talk about bad first day.

Auntie Tsunade hugged me one last time and told me she would call me tomorrow to arrange for our first training session before walking out the door and closing it behind her.

Hinata stood there for a minute, uncertain what to do, before sitting back down at her desk. I looked at mine and found a laptop there along with notebooks and a holder with pencils and pens. All pink, even the pencils. _Pfft, figures Auntie would go through that much trouble._

Even the laptop had a green cover on its top. I rolled my eyes. Geez, I just couldn't wait to see my closet. Insert sarcasm.

I placed my textbook filled bag on my desk chair before going to my bed and sitting down. Somehow my purse was there, the one I had brought from Yokohama. Opening it up I found everything still in there. Placing it on the floor next to my bed, I got back up.

The books in my bag were heavy and brand new. I look each out one by one, looking at each closely, before setting them on the desk next to my notebooks. Glancing up at Hinata I wondered what she was majoring in.

"Hinata...?" I waited till she looked typing to continue. Her eyes got big as she stared at me, her face paling in what I could only guess was dread. "What are you majoring in?"

"English Literature," she replied quietly, her shoulders sagging in relief. She glanced around the room, not being able to keep eye contact with me. I understood she was shy, but not for long. I didn't want her to be nervous around me if we were going to be roommates.

"So you are going to be a writer, or a teacher?" I questioned while sitting back down on my bed. She pushed her rolling desk chair back and out to the side till she was facing me directly over the desk, her laptop not blocking her anymore.

"I want to be a writer." I smiled at her, interested.

"That sounds awesome. Do you like to read?"

"Yes, that's what drove me to be a writer," she answered, her blush still on her face. She pushed a strand behind her ear when it draped in front of her face and I stared at her hair.

Her eyes met mine again and I once again noticed the strangely pretty silver eyes. For a moment I wondered if they were real or not, but then I shook my head at the silly thought. She didn't seem like someone who would wear colored contacts just to have silver eyes. Her eyes reminded me on the moonlight on a breezy summer night. Compared to mine they were spectacular. Hers an unique silver, mine the color of a weird shade green. It reminded me of grass. Grass was dull and boring.

"You have beautiful eyes." Her eyes had dropped to the floor but they suddenly snapped to mine, surprised and embarrassed.

"Thank you...is your hair natural?" I laughed which startled her. Here I am wondering if her silver eyes are real, and I'm the one with pink hair.

"Yes, it's natural, not dyed. You can check my arm ha—" My sentence was cut off by a loud grumble. I felt a blush work its ways up my neck and into my face. How embarrassing.

Hinata tried to hide a giggle but I heard it. This made me start to laugh too, well until my stomach decided to make another complaint to me.

"Want to go get something to eat before class?"

"I'm hungry too so sounds good," she replied and stood up to get some shoes on. I stood up and pocketed my key which I had placed on my desk earlier. Up until now I hadn't realized I was hungry, no starving. Thinking back I tried to remember the last time I'd eaten. Faintly I remembered eating a sandwich last night, but I'd been so tired I wasn't sure.

Hinata finished putting her shoes on and we headed out the door, locking it before we went downstairs. We both agreed that even though it was probably safe to keep the door unlocked, it would be better to be safe than sorry and lock it.

Now that we were more comfortable around each other, we chatted easily as we descended the stairs. Hinata was taking an English Literature Course, a Creative Writing Course, and a Reading Comprehension Course. They all sounded hard to me, but I bet by the look on Hinata's face when I told her my classes that the feeling was mutual.

As we got to the entry hall students were coming in through the front door, hauling their books lazily and yawning. I guessed the afternoon classes had just gotten out. Most of the students went straight for the stairs, but some headed for the living room.

We followed the crowd going into the living room and stayed on the outside perimeter of the room as we made our way towards the grand kitchen. Even though we couldn't see what was happening we could tell that there was an X-Box Competition going on. A large group of people crowded around a couch, cheering and chanting, where two un-seeable people were most likely slamming their fingers against the controls. From the looks on the large screen TV on the wall, the person playing on the left side of the screen was winning.

Finally we made it into the kitchen where it was deserted except for a few people just lounging around. My stomach grumbled again and I was tempted to tell it to shut up, but I restrained myself. It wouldn't be good if rumors started going around that I was crazy and talking to myself. Not that I really cared, if I wanted to talk to myself I could. It's called the Freedom of Speech.

I paused at that thought. Okay, maybe not exactly like that, considering we weren't in America, and I doubt it meant we had the freedom to talk to things that didn't talk back, but still. If I wanted to talk to my stomach then I had every right to.

Deciding I would rather be eating than arguing with myself on whether it is okay to talk to inanimate things, I walked over to the refrigerator to see what they had. The inside was like a rainbow of colors. Every imaginable vegetable and fruit possible was in there, along with meat. Lots and lots of meat. And a lot of bread. Bagels, sandwich bread, loafs of baked bread, garlic bread, everything.

I was beginning to think this place was perfect. I decided it was when I went to pick a cheese for my sandwich. Yep, perfect.

Still thinking this place was perfect, I assembled my turkey sandwich on some baked Italian bread with tomatoes and lettuce. Hinata had decided to make some ramen and was boiling water on one of the stovetops. I put the silverware I used into the dishwasher before sitting down on a wooden stool at the long marble counter.

Cheers erupted from the living room. I didn't even bother to look, figuring the X-Box match had come to an end. Screeches and shouts got closer but I chose to ignore that too. Maybe the girls thought it was hot that a guy could move his fingers so fast over a little piece of plastic.

I almost moaned at the first bite of my sandwich. It took all my willpower not to just shove the whole thing into my mouth at once, but I didn't like the idea of a stomach ache later.

Hinata sat down besides me, her ramen emitting a delicious smell. The smell told me it was chicken flavored.

"That looks good Hinata! I should have asked you to make some for me too," Naruto said as he came up behind Hinata and looked over her shoulder. I jumped at his sudden appearance while Hinata, who had been about to take her first bite, dropped her fork in surprise. Little droplets of ramen broth splashed onto the counter and Hinata just stared at Naruto, a blush working its way up her face.

Neither one of us had heard him come in or even approach us while we had been sitting here. Also the silence in the kitchen had made it even more surprising.

At the arrival of Naruto everyone else seemed to disperse till Hinata, Naruto and me were the only ones left in the kitchen. For some reason I got the feeling people were afraid to be near Naruto in the kitchen, but I didn't want to know why. It would be better not to know if Naruto was flammable or not. Especially since I was still hungry and didn't want to have to flee for my life as the kitchen burned down.

"Give her a heart attack next time will you?" I told him as I got up and grabbed some napkins. Hinata thanked me quietly while she helped me clean up the droplets of broth everywhere.

"Opps, sorry Hinata, didn't mean to frighten you. I could wear a necklace of bells if you wanted," he told her sheepishly while he got out a pan. He disappeared into the pantry for a second before coming back with a ramen package.

"No it's okay Naruto." Hinata's blush got stronger as she continued to stare at him. I sat back down beside her after throwing away the napkins and that snapped her out of her daze. Her hand shook as she picked up the fork again.

Naruto asked if we had seen the X-Box Competition and when we replied no he started rambling about it. He talked about how he had won it and startled us both by grabbing a ladel that was sitting on the counter and pretending it was a gun, giving us a play by play of what had happened. I half expected him to roll across the counter and duck behind it, using it as a shield against unseen foes.

Hinata seemed to be engrossed in everything Naruto was saying, while I on the other hand kept expecting him to hurl himself across the huge kitchen and break something accidently.

I got back up and decided I wanted some toast. I got out the Italian bread again and grabbed the bread knife. Just as I was about to cut a slice of bread the door swung open.

The bread knife halted above the bread. For a moment I forgot to breathe as his eyes locked with mine.

Sasuke Jackass Uchiha had just walked in. The door swung closed behind him, deluding the screeches of girls and loud chatter.

Just looking at him now in all his glory made my mind go haywire; him being all perfect, when he wasn't talking, and handsome.

I blushed at the thought of him being something to me in my past. He had most definitely been something special to me in my, no _our_, past. But he was a jackass to me now in the present. And I doubted we really had a future together considering he pretty much hated me. For no reason might I add.

I suddenly felt guilty. He had given up his life in the past life to save me, and I wasn't even giving him a chance to be nicer to me, if that was possible. Another feeling came over me, stronger than the guilt.

The feeling was weird, like I wanted something so bad that my heart ached. Wanting what I wasn't sure. Maybe it was the passion? Or was it the love? Or maybe it was the mind blowing kiss and what lay after it. Just thinking of that made me blush even harder. Things had been intense in the past, even if I had only dreamed of parts of it, they had still been intense.

Our eyes were still connected and I realized with a jolt that he probably though I was pathetic.

And I thought I was pathetic too. Here he was a prick and I was fantasizing about kissing him. All he had to do with walk in the room and I was a puddle of mush, which should not be happening at all. I realized that even though he was hot, and even though he had saved my life, that didn't give him the right to be rude and mean and not nice.

Rule number one I decided would be do not fantasize about Sasuke Jackass Uchiha. Big no-no. Because he didn't deserve to be fantasized about.

Realizing now would be a good time to stop the staring contest I went back to my bread. I sliced a piece for me and asked Hinata if she wanted a slice. She shook her head back and forth, her eyes flickering between Naruto and her bowl.

After the toast was toasted I buttered it and sat back down, careful not to look at the heart stopping man who was at the stove.

My eyes flicked up to look at him while his back was to me. Good, he wouldn't see me. I stared at his white clad shoulders, their muscles bunching under the fabric as he reached for something in one of the higher cabinets. Wow, he had strong looking shoulders. He bent over to pick up a pan from one of the cabinets closer to the floor.

I choked on my bread as it lodged itself in my throat. My eyes watered and a few tears spilled down my cheeks as I tried to breathe, the piece of bread finally sliding down my throat after a couple of swallows.

He definitely had a strong looking backside too.

The kitchen was silent and I looked up, wondering what was wrong. Everyone was looking at me. Hinata's face was contorted with worry, Naruto had a look of determination and I had a feeling he would have launched himself over the counter and wacked me on the back if he had gotten the chance to. Sasuke's face was a wall of no emotion which didn't really shock me. Why should he care about my well being?

_Because he did thousands of years ago_. The thought unwillingly ran through my mind before I could stop it. I shook my head, clearing that thought. Just because thousands of years ago he had cared didn't mean he did now.

Everyone was still looking at me. I bet I looked like I had problems, my face all flushed, tears streaming down my face, and a hand clutching the collar of my tee-shirt. And I did have problems, but not with almost choking because the slice of heaven over near the refrigerator had bent over.

"What?"

"Are you okay Sakura?" Hinata asked, her eyes watching me and waiting for me to start another choking outburst.

"I'm fine, sorry about that," I told her as I wiped the tears off my face and got up to get a bottle of water. I ignored Sasuke as I passed by him to the refrigerator next to the one he was reaching into. Well, tried to ignore him.

He closed the refrigerator just as I was about to open mine. I hesitated as he turned to me, a smirk on his face. It was a shock to me since I hadn't seen any other facial expression on him other than a glare, and a blank stare.

"What are you smirking at?" I told him with a glare. He crossed his arms and leaned against the refrigerator, the muscles in his arms flexing at the movement. I stared at his arms for a minute, wondering what it would be like if they were wrapped around me, before snapping my glare back to his face.

"You're not going to throw any thongs at me this time are you?" I gaped at him. Was he actually teasing me? _We'll two can play at this game._

"Why? Do you want more to add to your secret collection?" His smirk fell from his face and I opened the refrigerator door, blocking him from my sight. This victory was mine.

I started to reach for a water bottle but Sasuke's fingers appeared on the edge of the door. My eyes stayed glued to them while he came around behind me, his hand still holding the door. The feeling of being the prey flashed through me but I ignored it. Just because he gives off the vibe of a predator doesn't mean I have to behave like the little rabbit.

"I just thought you'd like to have these back," he said lowly in my hair. His voice was rough and scraped across my skin, giving me goosebumps. He leaned even closer until his chest was pressed against my shoulders and back and slowly held up the thong I had thrown at him in front of my face.

I bit my lip, mortified and turned on at the same time. He had kept them with him instead of throwing them out. Tingles ran down my spine as body heat seeped through my shirt and into my skin.

Realization hit as more tingles ran down my back, making me want to shiver. I stopped the shiver though before it could start and focused on the tingles. They didn't hurt, but were almost _pleasurable_. I bit back a moan as more tingles ran through my back and down my arms. I wanted them to stop, not because they felt good, but because I shouldn't be feeling them because of this jerk.

But it felt like the tingles would break through my skin and skitter on the top. They wanted to burst in me and bring every single nerve alive, from my toes to the tip of my hair.

And his voice, low and rough and sensual with its teasing words, felt like it was brushing across my skin, dipping in every hallow and curve, and vibrating against my nerves. It was like silk running over my skin, making me want to moan and jump on him at the same time.

I heard a chuckle next to my ear and realized I had gone off into my mind, leaving Sasuke to assume the worst, that I was fantasizing. Even though I had been just a little bit didn't mean I was now, or that he had the right to assume.

I shook any last fantasy thoughts out of my head and spun around, smirking at him.

"That's so sweet that you kept my thong in your pocket _all…day…long_." Shock may have been written all over my face two seconds ago, but not anymore.

"I didn't have anywhere to put it." His smirk dropped and his tone was a no bullshit tone. I ignored it though, this was just too good.

"Hoping to show your friends you got some?"

"You wish."

"Wow, great come back dipshit. Next time you want to steal someone's panties, make sure you at least have a good cover up." My smirk widened into a triumphant grin. Victory was still mine.

"No, I bet you wanted me to have your panties so you could go tell everyone we had hot, toe curling, animalistic sex, when in reality these panties will be the closest you'll ever be getting to me." His face got closer till I could feel his breath ghost over my face and lips.

I laughed and leaned in even closer till our noses were practically touching and stared him straight in the eyes. "_My panties_ are the closest you'll be getting to this," I ran my hands over my body. "So I suggest you keep those." He smirked and I could feel the panties I were wearing get wetter than they already were. Wait, when had my panties gotten wet? And why the hell was I being turned on by this asshole?

He kept staring at me, his eyes unreadable and his smirk gone. I watched his eyes as they roamed my face and stopped on my lip which I was biting. Trying to lean back I realized I was caged. His other hand holding the thong had somehow moved to the edge of the other closed door, the thong right next to my head, its pink frilly lace matching my hair.

Suddenly he pushed back away from me, tucking the thong into his pocket. I gave him a pointed glare but he ignored it, turning to finish making his lunch.

My mind spun with confusion at everything that had just happened. I couldn't tell if he had been flirting or just teasing, or both. Or if this was another one of his mean traits. Get a girl turned on then leave them high and dry. Not that I fit into the catagory that was turned on by him, or that I was high and dry.

_I'm hopeless, utterly pathetic and hopeless._

Grabbing a water bottle I closed the door and found Naruto with his chopsticks sticking out of the front of his mouth and making walrus noises. Even though he looked like a moron and sounded like one too, either he had never heard a walrus before, or he was impersonating a dying cat, it still made me giggle. Hinata seemed to be enjoying herself too since she was laughing, something I hadn't seen yet.

I sat back down besides her and watched as Naruto continued to impersonate different dying animals.

Oddly enough Sasuke sat down to my left, at the end of our row at the table. I glared at him, wondering why he was sitting next to me and not next to Naruto on the other side.

He ignored me and took a bite of his sandwich. It was hard not to watch as his neck flexed when he leaned down to take another bite. It wasn't too bad either that his sandwich looked good too. The bread was toasted and the cheese melted perfectly.

_A man that can cook, how nice._ I involuntarily thought. Deciding that I didn't really need a pro and con chart of him I shook it out of my head.

"Stop staring at me, it's annoying." I hadn't realized I was still looking at him and this brought a blush to my face.

"I wasn't staring," I retorted while I took a very long swig of water while trying to get my face back to a normal color.

"Looking at someone for five minutes is staring."

"How do you know? Are you counting?"

"It was a rough estimation."

"Rough estimation my ass," I muttered but decided to drop it. No point in acting like a child around this emotionless jerk.

My eyes flickered to his face one last time and what I saw made me take another look. His face was smoothed out with no emotion, but I swore I had just seen a smile. Sighing I figured it was just my imagination, nothing else.

"Sakura the class starts in half an hour," Hinata told me softly, her face still faintly covered in a blush.

"Aww but Hinata I was about to do the elephant," Naruto whined behind her, his chopsticks poised and ready in front of his face.

"Sorry Naruto but I have to show Sakura around," I suddenly felt bad, knowing that she would rather be here conversing with Naruto than showing me around.

"If you'd like to stay here I can find my way around on my own," I offered to her, the guilt over riding the fear of getting lost and being late.

"Oh no Sakura, I would love to show you around!" Hinata hastily stood up, a small smile coming to her face. "Plus I have a class too."

I nodded, feeling half relieved and half guilty. After we cleaned up our plates we headed to the door.

Naruto stood up and came towards Hinata, cackling evilly and making the chopsticks look like really long fangs. Hinata giggled before waving and walking out the door. If I didn't know better I swear I could see something there, chemistry.

I hesitated at the door, holding it open and ready to walk out. I stared at Sasuke, his back to me. His hair was in its usual chicken ass style and his Ralph Lauren shirt was pulled taunt against his muscular shoulders.

Something on his shoulder caught my eye, and I stood there trying to make out what it was. It was black and curved.

I suddenly realized that it wasn't on his shirt, but under it. A tattoo! A familiar looking tattoo.

The black curved around his shoulder, the lines forming into what looked like the head of a dragon. I wasn't sure if it was truly the head of a dragon, the shirt making it faded, but it looked like it.

"Sakura?" I took one last long look at his shoulder, burning the image of the marking in my mind before turning around and smiling at Hinata.

"Sorry, let's go." I looked over my shoulder as the door of the kitchen swung close, Sasuke's stare disappearing behind it along with his mysterious tattoo.

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There's chapter 4! So I wasn't sure where to end this considering there is so much to add. I almost kept writing but I decided this was a good stopping point. I can feel the glares directed at me :/. Okay okay stop! A hole is burning through my forehead, stop!

Don't forget the drill: click, opinionate, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words :) or click, flame, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words

Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed it!


	5. Five

Sigh, so the last couple of days have been rough. I haven't been able to sleep, I've been getting the sniffles on and off, and I had this horrible stomach ache that just wouldn't go away.

It was very hard for me to come back; I really struggled to get back into writing after not thinking about it for a couple days. I don't think it helped that I was still tired and worn down a little bit but I was determined to work on it. Every time I went to write I could feel the tiredness in me, telling me to take a nap but I just couldn't stand not writing for another second, even if my mind slowly cranked out the words. Sometimes I would get a writing burst, and other times I would have to walk away and do something else because I became so frustrated at not being able to write.

Fortunately, I did manage to get the chapter started but it took some days to get back to it and start again, especially since I was feeling so crappy. While I was sick though I did write some stuff down in my notebook and what I wanted to show in this chapter so hopefully that will speed up the process to write this chapter and help.

Also some thank you replies are in order to some of those reviews out there! Now I randomly just looked through them, there were some I wanted to reply to and other's I just saw and thought were funny so please don't be mad that I didn't reply to everyone's.

**Flirtologist**: I love how you have so much faith in my writing as to think it could be published as a book! Wow, I would love if that could happen but I mean if I publish it then everyone who has read it here would already know what has happened and where's the fun in that? But you and me must be on the same brainwave, maybe that's a good thing for me or a bad thing for you ^^, because I was also thinking how cool it would be to publish this as a book. Thank you for your faith in me.

**QueenThayet12990**: I was also having a Sasuke withdrawal which is why I had, and I mean HAD, to put him in the end again. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was feeling that way or else I might have considered myself just a tad bit loopy. And also I wanted to keep writing till I finished the whole story...but that might be a little bit too long for a one-shot. Thanks for hanging in there, for the advice, and surviving the Sasuke withdrawal.

**nightwish635**: That is exactly what I was thinking when I was planning for the story. I mean spot on. I was afraid that if I went too fast then it would be further from reality, but I didn't want to go too slow and bore you all to death x.x! I am very glad that others picked up on that and understand my dilemma. Thank you for commenting on that and making me feel like all that hard thinking was worth it.

**PurpleOnyx**: It's nice to know that some still read the Author's note. I know that sometimes even I pass by just to get to the good stuff, ahem ahem. But to know that some are reading them makes me happy because I spend time on the Author's notes too. I proofread and think over everything, so the work is well placed then if other's are reading it. Thank you for acknowledging my bad joke and pointless Author's note.

**Hinata's Inner Universe**: I'm glad that you are enjoying it so much! And also I'll do you a HUGE favor and update just like you wanted! Hopefully it will still be on your list of best read stories once it is done. Thank you for making me feel like my story is worthy of being compared to some of the top dogs on this site.

**sasukeztruelove**: I completely understand why you would forget about my story after three years. Three years is a very long time! But I am happy that you don't regret favoriting, is that even a word? because my computer is telling me it isn't, my story and have given me another chance to wow you! Thank you for the second chance and I hope you don't fall off your seat because that might hurt.

**Cowgirl 101**: I hope so far I am answering all your questions thoroughly. If not than I am really sorry, maybe in a couple chapters they will be answered! And I admit that in some stories I also skip paragraphs...everyone does at some point unless all they have ever read are good stories. I was hoping that I would be able to suck in the reader and keep them entertained and I am so happy that you have shown me that. Thank you for fully reading my story and making me feel like all those descriptions, actions, dreams, and answers were worth it.

All the other readers I also give my thanks to because honestly, this story would be nothing without you guys. I enjoy reading my own work but sometimes it's better to see all of your reactions, especially those that alert it and favorite it just so that they can keep tabs on it. Without you guys this story is just that, a story. With you guys it is an imaginative state of mind that sets all of you into a realm of daydreams and fantasies involving the wonderful Naruto characters. Thank you and hopefully you guys won't daydream _too_ much...drooling and staring off into space isn't the best way to spend your day...I know from experience.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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The water lapped at my skin as I sat there, soaking in the girl's bathroom.

Class had been boring. Even the fact that it was my very first class at the university didn't quench the bored feeling that had run through me. I guess it had to do with the fact that my whole life was turning upside down, in both a good way and a bad way. The class lectures and information just didn't measure up to all the excitement and fear that I had experienced.

My mind hadn't been able to stay under wraps during class either. I had been lucky when I walked in, there being no sign of Sasuke. I wasn't sure I'd be able to concentrate with him there.

My heart had sunk too, unwillingly, when he hadn't been there. I had hoped he would be in the class so I could try and get another glance at his back and his tattoo. That was far fetched though, along with him showing up in my Biology class.

Even with him not being there didn't help, my mind couldn't stay away from him.

I wasn't sure if it was because he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen and always seemed to be able to crawl into my skin somehow, or it if was because there was something about him that I couldn't quite place my finger on. The tattoo had been weird enough, considering it looked just like the one in my dream, and that had set my mind into another whirlwind.

Why did he have that tattoo? Was it really a tattoo or was it like mine? If it was like mine then he would have to have abilities too, and I didn't want to go off thinking that and accusing him of things that weren't true.

If I did go off accusing him of something he wasn't then that would cause more problems than I could keep up with. I would look like a nut case and I would have to explain the whole accusation to him, including the abilities and my dreams.

And then he would think I was obsessed with him for dreaming about him which I would rather do without.

But still…

_Stop it and just relax._ I told myself as I sunk down lower into the large tub. I looked around the bathroom again just to take my mind off everything else tumbling around in it.

When I had walked into the girl's bathroom at the end of the hall I had expected some stalls and showers. But I should have known by now that it would be much more than that, and better. The floors were clean and polished and sanitary looking. There were toilets, but they each had their own separate room just like in Auntie Tsunade's guest bathroom. The shower stalls were off to the side, their walls rising just high enough that you should see someone's head, and low enough that you could see someone's calves and feet. I had been relieved when I had spotted what looked like a large hot springs only inside, steam rising off of the surface. Next to it on the wall hung a sign that said: **Shower before entering. **

All in all, this bathroom was huge and perfect. Like everything else was here.

Luckily the bathroom had been empty by the time I had gotten there around eleven at night. The lights were automatic and made everything glow, making me eager to get into the large springs and just relax. I had quickly showered, washing my hair and body of the day's sweat and grime, before practically running to it.

I took one of the towels off the rack next to the springs and wrapped it around myself before stepping into the water. The water came up to my thighs and I quickly sat down, welcoming the warmth the water brought.

My muscles loosened and I reached up a hand to rub them tiredly. I tried to stop my mind from thinking but that was proving very hard, the silence giving my brain a bigger reason to think.

Frustrated, I sunk lower into the water, letting it lap at the underside of my chin. Wishing there was an off switch for my mind, I closed my eyes and listened to the dripping of water while ignoring everything else both in my mind and around me.

The dripping lulled me into fog until my mind shut down and blackness surrounding me.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pente.

5.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I opened my eyes and blinked rapidly. My hand rose to block out the sunlight blinding me. Once my eyes adjusted I opened them back up to take in the meadow around me.

The sunlight shown down through the meadow and framed the pond and the trees. Birds sang as they flew in the sky and the trees whistled in the breeze that lightly blew. Across the pond stood a waterfall, its falling water foaming at the base and creating a mist that the breeze carried to me.

I sat there in front of the water, the crystal blue water reflecting back my head and upper body to me. My armor caught the sunlight, its symbols glowing in the rays. My pink hair was still in a long braid, draped over my shoulder and the end swaying lightly in the breeze.

The water sparkled, the fish swimming under the surface creating a ray of the colors of the rainbow. Their scales glistened like diamonds, a sight I had never seen before and that left me in awe.

I tried to remember if the waterfall had been in my last dreams but I couldn't see it. The shining water made me want to emerge myself in it and have it glide over my skin. I wanted to feel it slide under my fingers and cool my skin as the sunshine beat down on me.

Without thinking I stood, my hands taking out the tie holding my braid together. I slowly unweaved it, setting the intertwined sliver thread on the ground next to the tie. Once my hair was free it cascaded down my back in curls and spirals like the waterfall.

Next I took off my katana, setting it carefully on the ground. I slid my boots off my feet, the grass crunching under my feet and tickling my ankles. Then I took off the leather armor hanging over my thighs.

My fingers unhooked the hard leather that rested on my shoulders and covered my chest and back and lifted it over my head, setting it down next to my boots. Underneath was another leather shirt, but softer and easier to move in. It felt like silk to my skin along with a protective feel, the hardness making me feel safe.

Right as my hands reached for the buttons of my pants another hand stopped mine, holding my wrist firmly.

Startled, I glanced up, surprise and fear making my heart thump wildly.

Sasuke stared down at me, a glint in his eyes. A blush rose to my face, embarrassed that he was here in the meadow with me, especially while I was undressing.

I hadn't even sensed him come into the meadow or approach me which suddenly made me feel vulnerable, not of any enemies but of him.

Just like in all my other dreams, he looked sinfully wonderful. His dark hair contrasted with the sunlight, his eyes gleaming with a red tint. The armor sat on his muscular body perfectly, a lazy smirk on his face. He looked just like he did in real life, something that made me uneasy and excited at the same time.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

His eyes traveled down my body, his hand still holding my wrist captive. I had to fight the urge not to turn away and hide my body from his heated gaze. My hand clenched at my side, my stomach bunching up nervously as he stared into my eyes again.

Unwillingly my mind started to work again, the shock from before melting away. What if he thought I was ugly? He was a God among men, a God that had high standards I bet. What if I didn't reach those standards?

"You're beautiful," he spoke softly, his voice making me shiver even though the sun provided more than enough heat to warm me. For a moment I wondered if he could read my mind, but I quickly lost that though when he let go of my wrist, the warmth disappearing with it.

His hands moved towards the buttons of my leather pants, his eyes still holding mine.

I felt the pants loosen as he slowly unbuttoned them, my blush growing as more buttons were loosened.

I reached down to hold up my pants but his hands stopped mine. They slid around my waist, leaving a trail of warmth, and pulled me closer.

I felt them slide into the back of my pants, resting on my bottom. My mind spun as his hands slid over my bottom and down the back of my thighs, sliding the pants down my legs slowly.

His fingers danced across my skin as he lowered to his knees, his eyes tracing the outline of the skin that was bared to him. My shirt tumbled down to my thighs, free from being tucked inside my leather pants. I clenched my fists against the urge to pull the hem of the shirt down lower but knowing that Sasuke would stop me before I could do anything of the sort.

He stayed kneeled, his eyes dancing with a passion I didn't recognize. I once again tried to say something but stopped when he slowly stood up, his hands now tracing my skin up my legs.

"What—"

"Shh, just feel," He cut me off, his voice firm and silky smooth.

Deciding to do as he said I stood there, allowing him to continue dancing his fingers across my thighs.

His hands continued their trail upwards as he stood. They ran over my hips and up my ribcage, the heat of his hands coming through my shirt and making me want more. More of what, I didn't know. It occurred to me that whenever he was around I wanted something, something I couldn't quite place my finger on.

But I did know I wanted more of what he was doing. I wanted his fingers to dance across my shoulders and slide down my back. I wanted his hands to pull me closer and push me to the edge. The need to discover and be discovered surged through my skin, scaring me and making me eager at the same time.

I held my breath as his hands skimmed along the sides of my breasts before sliding around to my back and going up to caress my shoulders. He pulled me closer till our chests were touching and I could feel the hard muscle of his chest firmly against my own.

I faintly wondered if he could feel my heart hammering in my chest but I was sure he could since I could feel every breath he took.

"Breathe," he murmured, a laugh in his tone. I started to look up, a glare on my face but I froze as his fingers found the buttons on my shirt.

Slowly he unbuttoned the first button, his breath coming in labored. This was the first I'd seen him where he was struggling with something, struggling with me.

I felt my own breath pick up, anticipation running through me and making me feel like I would never inhale enough air into my lungs again.

His hands worked down the line of buttons till he reached the last one, just below the valley of my breasts. The shirt gaped in the front slightly, allowing the breeze to cool my suddenly heated skin.

I waited for him to remove that too but he didn't. His fingers lingered on the last button, his chest rising and falling harshly.

"Sasuke—"

"Patience Sakura…" His voice drifted off as he ignored my impatience. It felt weird, different, to be impatient over this. A moment ago I had been embarrassed, unsure, and now I wanted this. I wanted to fall off the edge into nothingness and slowly fade back up towards reality while his hands ran over every inch of my skin.

My shirt rustled in the breeze and I felt the grass tickle my ankles, causing me to shift to stop it.

Startled I looked down as an intense heat erupted on my skin. I almost screamed as the fire on my shirt moved upwards and over my shoulder. I felt the heat move down my back and I arched, trying to get my back away from it.

Sasuke's hands held me to him tightly as the flame continued to scorch my shirt into nothingness.

"What's happening?" My voice shook, the back of my shirt opening up as the bottom broke apart from the fire. The flame broke apart into two little balls of fire and burned around the sides before making its way up my front.

"It won't hurt you." I clutched at his arms, trying to believe that the fire wouldn't burn me. But that's what fire did, it burned.

The fire lapped at Sasuke's armor but didn't burn it. Why was it burning me but not burning him?

I felt the breeze cooling my skin but my body shivered in fear, not coldness. The last piece of my shirt finally burned away, leaving me bare to the world and Sasuke. Sasuke let me pull away slightly so I could see where the fire was.

My eyes rested on it in shock where it lay lightly against my skin. I looked back up at Sasuke and found him staring at it also, his eyebrows scrunched together slightly as if he were in deep concentration.

The warmth brought my attention back down to the flame. It danced up my skin and hovered between Sasuke and me. Suddenly it flicked and disappeared with a small crack.

The loss of the heat was so noticeable that I shivered, the air around me colder than I had thought.

"Where…" I forgot what I was saying as I looked into Sasuke's eyes. The red tint that I had seen earlier in them now engulfed all of the black. "Your eyes."

I wasn't sure what to think, or do. Being naked in the middle of a meadow after almost being burned wasn't on my list of daily things that I did so I didn't know how to react. I knew I should be freaking out and embarrassed but something in my told me to be calm. He would never intentionally harm me, or so I wanted to believe, so there was nothing to be worried about right?

My thoughts vanished as Sasuke's face erupted into a smile that left me gasping for air. I had never seen him smile before and it was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. When he smiled his whole face lit up like the sun and made me want to smile along with him. The whole clearing looked brighter just with his smile.

I was still staring at his face speechlessly when his hands grasped my shoulders and turned me towards the water. I felt him lean down, the heat of his body chasing away some of the chills running down me. I wanted to wrap myself in his warmness and never leave it. I wanted to curl against his chest and feel his arms wrap around me and provide me with the feeling of safeness.

I jumped as I felt his mouth on my shoulder, his lips pressing slightly against my skin. He slowly peppered my shoulder with kisses before moving to the back of my neck. I tried not to make a sound, the silence of the meadow making me feel that if I did I would disturb something sacred.

An unconscious shiver ran down my spine and through my body as he nipped the skin between the back of my neck and shoulder. As he nipped again slightly harder my head fell back against his shoulder, my lips parting to draw in much needed air. His lips smoothed out the slight pain and moved across my other shoulder.

He stopped suddenly, too suddenly if I had anything to say about it, and took a small step back. Lightly nudging me forward towards the edge of the pond, his voice rang out roughly through the clearing.

"You can swim now," he said as if he was able to order me around. I was tempted to glare back at him, my frustration clearly evident, but that had been my original intent. And I was also naked, very much so in front of the single most gorgeous man alive.

The water looked inviting as I stepped up to the edge. The goosebumps appeared on my skin as I prepared to jump into the cool water and submerge myself in it.

Looking back over my shoulder I took one final look at Sasuke, the sun haloing him. He nodded at the water, his eyes silently demanding that I jump in and enjoy myself. I watched as his eyes moved down my backside slowly, a blush of embarrassment and anger rising to my face.

I dove in before he could finish his scrutiny of my backside. A smug smile sprang to my face before it disappeared, the cool water gliding across my skin erasing all thoughts from my mind.

The water rippled as I surfaced, my legs kicking me backwards till I was closer to the waterfall. I slowly glided around the pond, the childish fantasy of being a mermaid causing me to dive under the water and twirl around gracefully.

Each time I surfaced for a breath I took into account the ripples of the water around me, their rings a perfect symmetry. Without thinking I started to splash as I came up, laughing silently as the little water droplets hung in the air for a moment before gravity dragged them back down.

As I started to splash more and more water into the air I noticed that the downward journey of the droplets started to slow. The water seemed to move in slow motion, as if it was struggling with gravity.

The next time I surfaced I threw a handful of clear liquid into the air and watched as it stayed there, suspended in midair. I dived back under and slid across the sandy bottom, the water so clear that it was visible from the surface. Coming back up I threw more glassy droplets into the air and watched as those too froze in midair, as if gravity had been turned off.

Gleefully I continued, going around the pond and spreading the droplets in the air above the surface till it looked as if there were Christmas ornaments hanging from invisible strings, the sun shining on the water and making them shine.

I kicked backwards till I was near the waterfall again. I took in the sight in front of me, the beauty of it all and sheer reality of it too.

I caught sight of Sasuke in the corner of my eye, my body unwilling to forget him so easily while he was so close.

My eyes watched him as he slowly sat down, one of his legs stretched out and the other drawn up lazily while his head rested on the raised knee.

Something about him seemed so familiar, like a little piece of me was so use to this that I could have pictured it without him actually doing it. I could have stared at him all day like he was staring at me and I would have if it weren't for the figure that suddenly glided out of the shadows of the forest surrounding the clearing.

"Sasuke—" I realized I was too close to the waterfall too late. I reached out towards his as the water rushed over me and dragged me under. I caught one last glimpse of Sasuke, my struggle with the waterfall renewing and failing.

Sasuke had leapt to his feet, his arms raised as he prepared to dive. His face was frozen in fear, burning into my mind so painfully that I knew I would never forget it as long as I lived, the terror scaring me beyond anything that had ever scared me before.

What scared me just as much was the figure looming closer to him, a glinting object in his hand raised above his head.

I fell below the surface of the water before I could see anything more, a scream of terror stuck in my throat. I tried to claw my way to the surface but the water only seemed to drag me down, something that I thought it would never do. The water was supposed to help me, not hurt me.

The blackness engulfed me as the light faded away, leaving me to drown in fear and hopelessness.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Water coursed down my lungs as I sat up. A coughing spasm took over me as I tried to breathe.

"Sasuke!" My sheer volume of my voice startled me as I unthinkingly screamed out his name.

It had been a dream, all of it, just like the others. But the sheer horribleness of it all still shook me to my core. I could feel the dark figure just looming outside the corners of my mind, ready to strike, ready to kill.

Had he killed Sasuke? Before I had been dragged under I had seen him, his attention solely focused on me and not the figure behind him. Was that how he had died?

I clenched my hand tightly over my chest as the aching of my heart thudded through me. The thudding ran through my hand and down my arm, a feeling I had never felt before.

Up until then I had been sitting in the springs lost in thought, not taking into account the time or surroundings. Glancing up my hand dropped into the water with a plop, my eyes blinking rapidly as if I was still in my dream.

"What is happening?" I whispered as my eyes widened.

In front of me lay small crystal clear orbs that were hovering just above the surface of the springs. My mind tried to crank out why this was happening, and how. I would have believed it to be possible in my dream, since it was exactly that, a_ dream_, but not here, not in real life.

"This is not happening," I muttered as my fingers touched one of the suspended droplets. It stayed in the air for another moment, the surface cold and watery, before it slid down my finger and rejoined with the water after falling off my elbow.

My fingers started to feel pruned as I stayed longer in the water. Deciding it was time to get out I stood, my hands clutching the soaked towel to my body.

As I got out the suspended orbs of water unfroze and fell back into the springs, creating a sound akin to rain. I glanced around as the echoing of the falling water stopped, paranoid and on edge.

I knew it was stupid to believe someone else was in here; I mean where would they hide? But I couldn't help it, the dream had shaken me and left me scattered in little pieces of fright, trying to scramble to understand and stay calm.

I tried to wring out as much water in the towel as I could before I headed over to my clothes. Even though there was no one in the bathroom I couldn't help but look over my shoulder periodically. As I dried off I stood with my back to the wall, my movements quick and jerky.

Finally I made my way to the door, dropping off the wet towels in the towel bin. I clutched my shower bag tightly to my chest as I stepped out into the hallway, the lights bringing relief to me.

Auntie had said that I was safe now, but it wasn't the place I was afraid of, it was the dreams. She had said that my dreams were memories from my past, but did that mean that what I had just experienced was real? I wasn't sure if I wanted to know if that was real. I didn't want to know if that was how Sasuke died, the pain of knowing if it was would bring an unwilling sadness and heartbreak to me.

He was an ice cube bastard, I couldn't have feelings for him just because in the past I did. No way was that allowed.

I stared at the ground, tracing the patterns of the wood with my eyes as I walked, deep in thought. Just as I neared my door the one next to it opened. I glanced up and froze, almost tripping over myself in the process.

Could this get any more ironic, and weird?

In front of me stood the Jackass himself in all his glory.

_Glory doesn't even begin to describe this man._

He stared at me silently, his hand holding a black towel and bag. He wore a black shirt and white baggy shorts with worn sneakers on his feet. It looked like he had just done some serious exercising, from the dirt visible on his pants and his hair all over the place.

Unconsciously I stared at his muscles, slick with sweat and lick worthy.

"Come to get your thong back?" He spoke smugly, his face breaking out into a smirk. I tried to glare at him but I couldn't, not after everything. I just couldn't get up the power to hate him when I had just seen what could have been his death.

And his seduction.

I felt my face heat up at that thought, of his lips on my skin and his hands undressing me slowly. It had felt so real that I could imagine the heat on my skin, his smooth lips, his fingers.

Just staring at him made me want to drop my things and jump him. These feelings scared me, and motivated me at the same time. They dragged me in two directions, my brain telling me to walk away and my body telling me to just let go and attack him with my teeth and lips.

I tried to open my mouth and say something but I couldn't, not with all these thoughts running around in my mind at once.

"You're all sweaty," came out before I could even register that I was speaking. That had not been what I had wanted to say but it was out there now.

"Yes, that tends to happen when you exercise. Checking me out?" His tone still held that smugness and I finally found enough anger to glare at him. If he wanted to be an arrogant asshole then that was fine by me, but I wasn't going to stick around to see it.

Turning towards my door I pulled out my key, my hands shaking. Thankfully I was spared the embarrassment, the key sliding into the hole easily. Twisting it, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I didn't bother to look back since I wasn't sure I could handle seeing him standing there another moment, the smirk on his face so similar to the one in my dream.

"I'll take that as a yes." I closed the door quickly, at the last moment slowing down so that it didn't slam. No need to wake Hinata this late.

Realizing I didn't know the time I walked into our bedroom and looked at my new alarm clock. 12:23 it read.

Why had he been up so late exercising? It striked me as odd that he would stay up till midnight just to push some weights. If that was what he was doing. Maybe he went for a jog…in the middle of the night.

Deciding that I didn't really have the brain space to think about what he could be doing at twelve in the morning, I quickly changed into my pajamas.

Hinata was already in bed, her front facing the wall. I could faintly make out little bunny slippers near the end of her bed on the floor which made me smile.

I lay down and mimicked Hinata, my back facing the middle of the room. As I settled down the silence soothed me into sleep.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sasuke swung his katana, the metal slicing through the air and making a whoosh noise. The katana sliced and diced at invisible enemies, his feet sliding across the floor as he preformed the dance of steel.

Suddenly this feeling consumed him, making him freeze.

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. The need to protect ran through him, along with this need to seduce. It ran through his body and compelled him to do things he had never felt the need to do before.

Sakura's face came into his mind just as quickly, and the blood in his veins ran hot and heavy for her. And this feeling wasn't supposed to be happening either. She was involved in all of this ironically, the one person he planned to avoid the most.

It wasn't that she was obsessed with him; she seemed to ooze with hatred and irritation for him. Normally he would have enjoyed this, one less person obsessed with him was a relief, but instead it bothered him to the core.

So much so that it had driven him to tease and flirt with her, to find some little part of her that was infatuated with him just so that he could go back to hating her. But she had held her own, and when she had become speechless with his remarks he had felt a tug of male satisfaction instead of hatred.

Finally the need to seduce started to fade and Sasuke was able to start practicing again, unfortunately the need to protect rose along with a feeling of terror.

Without thinking Sasuke set his katana in the weapons room and ran out in a full sprint as some unknown reason drove him on.

Cutting across the park and roads he had raced full speed into the dorm, the silence disrupted with his harsh breathing and pounding footsteps. The feeling became stronger as he ascended the steps three at a time, guiding him to his own floor.

Once there he froze as he took into account the empty hallway. Anger ran through him, anger at himself and at these feelings. If he couldn't even control his feelings then how was he suppose to control everything else going on?

Deciding that he mind as well take a shower and go to bed, Sasuke walked into his room and grabbed his shower towel and shower bag.

Naruto lay in his bed, his head near the end of the bed and his feet on his pillow. A long snore came out of him and Sasuke quickly made his way back to the door, not wanting to stick around and give Naruto a chance to wake up and bother him.

He heard someone coming down the hall as he opened the door and looked up, faltering in closing the door.

There stood the frustration that set his mind in a whirlwind. Her pink hair was damp and hung around her face as she stared at the ground and headed towards him.

Shock ran through him but he kept his face neutral as she looked up and stopped. Sasuke fought the urge to reach out and steady her as she nearly tripped and fell on her face, but at the last moment she steadied herself.

Sakura's face also held shock as she stared at him. The longer she stared, the more her face heated up till it resembled a tomato, his favorite food. That thought didn't help as he fought the feelings inside of him.

Sasuke tried to think of something to say, anything to say, but her stare made him speechless. Her eyes traced down his muscled arms and chest and seemed to ignite an even greater heat in him than he ever thought possible. The things he wanted to do to her were smothering his mind, and making it unbearable to resist.

"Come to get your thong back?" Sasuke's voice unintentionally had a smug tone to it. He couldn't help the smirk that came to his face, or the feeling of pride that he had her thong, only him. Even though no other guy was in the hallway, or even hearing distance, he still felt protective of Sakura, and he didn't like it one bit.

He didn't like the instinct to pull her to him and do things he had never thought of doing to anyone else.

Sasuke hated it. With a passion.

"You're all sweaty."

Sasuke's mind snapped back to her, his anger at himself making him even more of an asshole than he wanted to be to her.

"Yes, that tends to happen when you exercise. Checking me out?" Sasuke knew that she was, her eyes staring at his body evidence enough, but he still wanted to say it. The hope that she would say she was made him even angrier.

Sakura glared at him, her face twisting into irritation.

_That's right, hate me._ Sasuke thought. He hoped that if she hated him maybe she would go into her room and leave him to his misery. Leave him to beat up his mind and get under control the emotions coursing through him.

She took a step forward and unlocked her door before stepping in, not even bothering to look back at him.

"I'll take that as a yes," Sasuke told her as she closed the door quietly. That should piss her off enough to give him a few days to sort out everything.

Sasuke stared at the closed door for another moment before heading down the hall. Opening the door to the guy's bathroom he quickly made sure that no one else was there before he slumped against the wall, his hands holding his head.

Mixed emotions ran through him, frustration making him clutch his hair. Why was he feeling this? He shouldn't be, not for her, not for anyone.

Sasuke stood up, deciding that showering would be better than moping around like a weakling.

As he showered he allowed the steam and sprays of the water to wash away the thoughts in his mind and allow him to relax. He quickly finished up before heading back to his room, eager for a new day with fewer complications.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I woke to the birds chirping outside the window. My whole body felt relaxed and I was tempted to just lay there for another hour.

The door opened and Hinata walked in, her shower bag in her hand. I sat up as she set her things down on her bed, my pajama shorts twisted up to my ribs. How uncomfortable.

Especially the wedgie.

"Good morning Sakura," she said quietly before she disappeared into her closet.

"Good morning, do you have class this morning?" I asked as I watched her come back out in some shorts and a white hoodie. She nodded as she quickly slipped on her sneakers.

"Yeah and I'm running late so I'll see you later," she headed towards the door but quickly turned around, startling me. "Do you want to catch lunch after?"

"Yeah sounds great," I told her. She nodded and ran out the door while looking at the watch on her wrist. I sat there for a moment, staring at the closed door. It felt good to have a friend here. It made me feel somewhat normal, if that was possible.

My alarm clock suddenly went off, startling me. The numbers stated that it was 8:42. The sound continued to echo around the room as I tried to calm my racing heart while I thought back to yesterday. I didn't remember setting the alarm which was now screeching in the room loudly.

"Who set you?" I spoke to the little plastic contraption while trying to find the off button. Suddenly my phone started to blare along with it, making me wince. I bet the people in the next room over were probably starting to get annoyed.

At that thought I smirked, tempted to leave the electronics blearing. Hey while I was at it minus well expect the TV to start blasting too, not that I minded. Maybe Sasuke would get so annoyed that he would move to another room. See if ice face liked that.

I picked up my cell phone from its perch on my desk.

"Hello?"

"Ah, I see the alarm clock worked." I gaped at the phone. Auntie had set it? That last time she had been in here she hadn't been anywhere near it, at least not near enough to set it without me knowing. But I guess that's how she was, sneaky and cunning.

"I was awake before that," I told her while turning back to the alarm clock, my attempts at turning it off failing. "How do you turn it off?"

"There is a small button on the side," she said before the line went silent. When I finally managed to find the small button, and by small I mean super small, she started speaking again. "You don't have class today so I thought you might like to stop by the martial arts gym to get started with practice."

"I'd like that. What time?"

"How does nine sound?"

_Just my luck._ I thought. I could go practice and come back for a quick shower before meeting Hinata for lunch.

"That's perfect."

"Alright, I'll pick you up to show you where it is, goodbye Sakura." Before I could respond she hung up. I set the phone down before running to my closet, excitement bubbling in my stomach. The fact that I would probably leave with bruises covering most of my body and aches in placed I had forgotten about made me giddy to get there.

I picked out some comfy shorts and a tank top before putting on my sneakers. I had managed to find some sports bras in the bra drawer which made me glad that Auntie had gotten me clothes. It was one thing to practice in a normal bra, it was a totally different thing to practice in a sports bra. Normal bras were for normal days, sports bras were for getting dirty and sweaty. Unless getting dirty and sweaty was a normal thing for someone.

Now I just sounded weird, thinking about the bonuses of bras and their comfort rating.

I headed downstairs and grabbed a bagel, my stomach begging to be fed. The clock over the microwave read 8:55 and I quickly finished buttering my bagel and headed outside.

I watched as people walked in and out of the dorms lining the street, heading in different directions. Some of them gave me curious glances while others just walked by, their minds too busy on the classes they were heading to or had just came from.

A sleek black car zoomed down the street and passed me, turning the corner. I watched as it passed and disappeared. I looked back in front of me but stopped as I spotted my Auntie crossing the street. I hadn't even noticed her walking across the park, she had just appeared out of no where.

"Ready to go Sakura?" She asked as she gave me a warm hug. We headed back across the street and into the park, quickly going a different way than we had yesterday.

We chatted as we went, her telling me about past memories and asking about how I liked the school, me asking different questions.

The martial arts gym was like a gym and dance studio combined. The main room had wooden floors with a large stack of mats off to the side. The walls held floor to ceiling walls mirrors that helped those practicing see their moves.

We walked into the main gym and we took off our shoes, leaving them in the shoes rack near the door. She lead me into the weapon room and started pointing out different weapons and their most dangerous attributes.

It made me nervous to be this close to so many weapons but we quickly went back into the main room. As we walked out of the weapons room she grabbed two katanas.

It wasn't until now that I noticed that she was also wearing workout clothes and I realized she would be my teacher, just like she said. I hadn't really thought about who would help me relearn everything but I hadn't assumed it was her. I would have expected her to ask one of the other teachers to help me, her being too busy as headmaster to get out of the office long enough. I was just starting to see her as a new person, someone who did what she wanted when she wanted, but still responsible.

"Okay, we'll start out slow with relearning the moves, and then at the end we can do some fighting." I nodded but I wasn't sure I would be ready for a fight yet. She seemed to sense my unease she rested a hand on my shoulder. "I will go very easy on you, don't worry, but I just want you to start getting back into the habit of using your instincts."

"That might take a while," I told her sheepishly. It was one thing if it had been only a few years, but we were talking about more than ten years, a time that could erase memories of the mind and body.

"No worries, you won't be rusty for much longer." And with that we were off into a familiar drill that had my arms aching and my body sweating.

We started with lunges and slices before moving into blocking. Even though my arms hurt I pushed through it, not wanting to disappoint Auntie and needing to prove myself.

"That's right, use your whole body not just your arms." I smiled at her praise. My muscles started to loosen up as my body slowly started to remember. I remembered gliding across the wooden floors of my parents' training room. The slicing sounds of air and clashing sounds of katanas meeting. The thuds of feet and hands on the floor and jumping through the air. It all started to come back to me, along with the feeling in my limps.

Auntie Tsunade noticed too, the grace that was slowly becoming apparent in my moves, although she didn't say anything. But the glint in her eye told me differently.

We stopped multiple times to take water breaks but I was too eager to stop for long. Even though Auntie seemed to notice my new found energy she didn't push me as hard as I would have liked. As the minutes ticked by and the counts of swings started to rise she started to push me harder, but not so much that it was unbearable.

I felt the sweat running down my back, down my neck, and down my arms. The wood felt cool under my feet and I watched as the mirrors reflected back my every move.

I could see my muscles in my legs flex in the mirror as I slid forward and whipped my katana through the air. A second later I spun around and slid my weight onto the balls of my feet as I raised my katana in a block. Then I swung it downwards in a wide arc, completing the set.

"That's enough for now Sakura," she said while coming up to me. "Are you ready to fight?"

"I think so," I said hesitatingly. I wasn't sure what I was ready for. It felt natural enough but I didn't want to go off thinking I would stand a chance if I couldn't.

"Okay then, let's see what you've got."

She raised her katana in a defensive stance and crouched. I mimicked her and we slowly circled each other, our eyes scanning for any opening. I decided to let her make the first move, figuring that by being on the defense I could protect myself and keep my eyes opening for any of her attacks.

My grip on my katana tightened as she charged forward, her katana posed ready for an attack. I put all my weight onto the balls of my feet and blocked her attack, pushing her back and slicing forward at the opening it presented.

She seemed to sense my attack before she saw it because she raised her katana to block mine before her eyes did. The clashing of metal ran steadily through the air and I marveled at the sound.

Suddenly my feet were swept out from under me and I was lying on my back. I tried to raise my hand but Auntie's foot held my wrist pinned to the floor.

I looked up and watched her pull back her katana from my neck and release my wrist, her hand reaching out to help pull me up. She swept some blond strands out of her face before looking at me in appraisal.

"You did very well for your first day."

"But I lost."

"Just because you lose doesn't mean you are not a winner," she said as we went into the weapons room and put our katanas back. "Plus you lasted much longer than the others did on their first day. They didn't even make it past the first attack."

"The others?"

"Some other students I taught." I stared at her. I had never known this, or that she even knew martial arts. I guess it made sense since it probably ran in the family.

As we walked out of the weapons room and headed towards the front door I glanced at the clock. It read 11:53. I was shocked that we had been practicing that long. Time had flown by as I swung my katana and moved around the room, fighting invisible enemies.

"Would you like to grab some lunch Sakura?" she asked as I bent to put on my shoes.

"I really wish I could but Hinata and I were going to get something to eat. You can join us if you want," I told her as I finished tying my shoes.

"Ah I'd love to but I'll leave you girls to your business, gossip and whatnot that you have to get caught up on. Maybe another time then." We headed towards the door and at that moment it opened, bringing in the sunshine and breezy wind along with the newcomer.

I was momentarily blinded by the sunshine. The inside of the martial arts gym was lighted but not as much as the outside. When my eyes finally adjusted I nearly groaned, my luck seeming to fail me like every other time.

"Ah Sasuke! Getting in some practice before your evening class?"

"Like always."

"Still the wiseass I see, well we'll leave you to your business then," she said with a wave as she walked by him and out the door. I took a step to follow her but Sasuke quickly blocked my path before I could get any closer to the door.

"Excuse me," I quietly said while staring past his shoulder at the door. I could feel his stare burning into my face but I refused to make eye contact with him. And why should I? He was a jackass and didn't deserve my time of day, or night.

"Were you practicing?" I wondered why he would care what I was doing here. Why should he care about anything but his Jackass self anyways, the jerk that he was.

"Yes, hence the sweat because you tend to sweat when you exercise." I threw his words right back at him, and he deserved it too. He had the nerve to be rude to me for no reason in the middle of the night. Forget his other worldly looks for one second and his attitude stuck out like a sore thumb. Plus, what had I ever done to him?

"I just wanted to know so that I would know to come later, when you aren't here." I gaped at him. But then I felt a smaller part of me shrivel up and die because I couldn't think of any reason for him to hate me. And because I knew to expect him to find some way to be a jerk, even when there wasn't any reason to be.

"Well now you know," I spoke quietly, the hurt overwhelming me and washing out the anger. I didn't know why it hurt so much either, and that scared me. I barely knew him, and what I did know of him was based on a dream that I wasn't even sure was real or not.

This pain, it felt like a paper cut, slowly throbbing in pain and always hurting no matter what you did. A paper cut on my heart, and it stung, badly.

His face softened for a second as regret twisted his features into a frown before it went back to its usual façade. I didn't even bother to say anything else as I walked past him and out the door.

Auntie stood there waiting, a knowing look in her face, but I didn't bother to say anything to her either. Why should I? She probably knew more than I did and she wasn't even the one having the sensual and mysterious dreams, or the issues with everything I come into contact with. Because that was just like me, to have bad luck and have everything possible fall down like a paper plane out of momentum.

We walked back to my dorm, her chatting about past achievements of the school and me listening intently, hoping to erase from my mind the hatred on Sasuke's face as he looked at me.

I watched as students passed by, trying to take my mind off everything that was bothering me. As we approached the dorms I saw a moving truck, the back opened and a man unloading a dresser.

"What's going on?" I had been here only two days but it still seemed odd that someone would bring their own furniture. The fact that the university provided top notch furniture should have ensured that no moving trucks would be needed, nor bed frames and dressers.

"Exchange students, they preferred their own possessions to the ones we were going to provide." Auntie rolled her eyes and eyed the huge truck as we got closer.

"Who are they?" I asked. It looked like they were going to be living in the dorm next to mine, and from what the furniture looked like, they were girls.

"Well their file said they were accepted a while back but they are just now transferring. I guess they had decided to try another university before this one and didn't like this one, and normally we don't allow them to do that, but they bought over the board."

"Is that even legal?"

"I suppose it is if they were able to do it."

"Why didn't they like the other school?" It seemed dumb to go through all the trouble of going to one college just to decide to go to another, plus the cost of it. But if they were able to buy over the board of a place like this then I guess they had the money to.

"I'm not suppose to be saying this, but it was because of Sasuke," she said with a sigh. I faltered in my steps and almost tripped over at her words. Why would Sasuke have anything to do with them coming here? If anything he should be a reason to leave.

_Out of everything here, the class selection, the dorm rooms, the awesome campus, they chose him. _I thought as I pictured the flawless perfection of this place. Out of everything here they were coming here for him. Him…

Yeah right.

"Why…what does he have to do with it?"

"Like all the other fangirls of his, they just had to be closer because they believe it'll increase their chances."

I snorted. Really. He may be hot but his attitude was that of a cactus. No, more like a pissed off cat that was just dunked in ice cold water. But seriously…fangirls? Was that even possible with his rudeness? Actually rudeness didn't even begin to describe what he was, nor did the word jerk.

As we got closer a girl came rushing out of the dorm and started pointing at things in the truck then the building. Once she was done yelling at the man she glanced around before her eyes settled on us. After barking out another order that I couldn't hear, she stomped over to us, a look of fury on her face.

"I specifically said I wanted two rooms in _that _dorm!" Her whitish blond hair swished down her back as she twisted around and pointed at the dorm I was staying in. I stared at her as if she was insane, not that I doubted she wasn't.

"I'm sorry Ami but there are no more rooms in that dorm, this was the closest we could get for you," Auntie Tsunade apologized, her voice holding no sympathy whatsoever.

"I don't care, I demanded that I be in that dorm where Sasuke—"

"What you demand and what we have are two completely different things. Now if you'll excuse me, I bet you still have a lot of unpacking to do before your class tonight, and I am currently very busy." I mentally cheered for Auntie, proud that she had put that blond bimbo in her place where she belonged.

"The things they'll do these days," I heard her mutter as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

"She's crazy if she wants to be in the same dorm as Sasuke. He's a block of moronic ice and I doubt she'll even get a crack of respect out of him, no matter how close she lives to him," I said sarcastically. But even though I said these things I couldn't help the little jealous bubble that flickered inside me. He may be a jerk, and more, but that didn't mean I wasn't any less upset with the fact that there were girls out there pining for him.

And willing to move from one college to another just to be near him.

_Totally pathetic and insane at the same time._

My mind drifted back to Sasuke unfortunately. The psycho Ami girl had been able to take my mind off him for a moment, but her craziness had dragged up the horrible encounter that had happened earlier.

Auntie Tsunade seemed to sense my incoming thoughts because she gave me the motherly hen look.

"Sakura, even though things are looking down right now they will get better, I promise," she told me as we stopped in front of my dorm. I tried to smile at her but it came out like a withering grimace. Instead I opted to nod while I tried to find my voice.

"I know, and I'm fine, really." She hesitated for a moment, not sure if I was really fine. Her eyes roamed my face before she nodded and gave me hug before she walked down to the end of the street and disappeared around the corner.

I felt bad for lying to her, but I just couldn't get up the courage to explain to her why I was so down, not that I doubted she didn't already know. Plus the fact that there was a fan club going after Sasuke. How would that make me look? I didn't want to be labeled a fangirl because I wasn't one. Not now, not ever.

Her words rung around in my head and I wanted to believe her but it was hard to, especially when I thought things would and could get worse, not better.

_They will get better. _I told myself, but Sasuke's hate filled stare kept coming back into my mind and I for once wished she meant the problems I were having with Sasuke, and not the ones I were having with my abilities.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So that's where I'll end it. I wasn't sure how to end this one because I didn't know if I wanted it to be a cliffhanger or not, but I guess it won't be. Unless this sort of counts as one.

Well, you know the drill: click, opinionate, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words :) or click, flame, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words!

Also thank you for reading and hope you can easily find that little button at the bottom that says to submit a review ^^. Enjoy!


	6. Six

So I just couldn't wait any longer! I am working on Chapter 8, no I will not post Chapter 7 tomorrow...even though I want to really badly, and I just had to post this because I told myself I would give it a week after No Longer Weak was posted before I posted this and of course it has been a week. You're all lucky I decided to post this now instead of waiting till Chapter 8 was done, although hopefully that will go smoothly since I have the chapter planned out! I hope you enjoy it and I did just reread it to proofread it, so hopefully all the mistakes are gone. If you find any please tell me because I don't like mistakes since it makes it harder to read it!

And now I'm just rambling when I should be working on the story, but it's okay to admit that everyone here loves my ramblings ^^. Don't lie now…once again just kidding.

On with the show now…(curtain rises slowly)

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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S

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_Enjoy_

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I sat down at the café table across from Hinata. The sunlight shined heavily around the umbrella that shielded us from it and I could hear birds chirping in the distance.

When Hinata has suggested that we stay on campus and find a place to eat I had been surprised. Normally students would have to go off campus to find somewhere to eat, which generally ended up being a fast food restaurant, but here there were places to eat on campus. And they were healthy.

"I didn't know that the university had on campus restaurants," I told Hinata. She looked up from her bag and shielded her eyes as a ray of sun shone across her face for a moment.

"When I first got here I didn't either. I guess they want to make things easier for us, plus all the employees here are students."

"Really? That's cool." I tried to think of something else to say but my mind was elsewhere. After the encounter with Sasuke all I wanted to do was curl up in my bedroom and eat ice cream while watching romantic movies. But I knew that was pathetic, especially since Sasuke and me weren't even romantically involved, we weren't even friends.

"Sakura," I looked up at Hinata. "Is something wrong?"

I hesitated at her question. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, she was nice and my roommate, but I didn't want to come off as an obsessed fan girl. I doubted she would think that but I couldn't help it.

"Does it have something to do with Sasuke?" My eyes snapped up to hers, startled. Her face started to redden as I continued to stare at her.

It wasn't that fact that she had nailed straight on what was wrong, but that somehow everyone seemed to be reading my mind. Whenever something was wrong, someone was able to guess as to what it was, and that bothered me. What if I didn't want anyone to guess at what was wrong? What if I wanted to just let it be kept hidden, only for me to know about?

I dropped my eyes, suddenly ashamed at my suspicion of Hinata. She was just trying to be a good friend, and maybe I needed to work on hiding my feelings better.

"If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, I'm sorry," she apologized quietly, her eyes glued to the table in shame. My guilt grew at this, she looked like a kicked puppy and I was the one who had kicked her.

"No it's okay…he's just so…" I drifted off, not able to pick one solid word as many came to my mind.

"He's like that. What did he do?" Her shoulders seemed to relax and the glow came back into her eyes, making my guilt lessen.

I told her how he was rude to me in the hallway last night, and about his mean comment at the martial arts gym. She listened intently and seemed to understand. Suddenly I wasn't so hesitant to tell her everything, her friendship clear as her attention stayed focused on me.

The waiter came by and dropped off our food, signaling the end of my explanation. My stomach grumbled in hunger as the aromas drifted up to me. All the working out and drills had brought my hunger to the surface, not even Sasuke's comments being able to make it go away.

I took a bite and almost moaned as my taste buds absorbed the food. I took another bite then slowed down, not wanting to give myself a gut ache like I have done so many other times.

"Sasuke is Sasuke, he's different from the rest. I don't really know what to say. I don't want to go off and say something and then it be wrong or looked at the wrong way," Hinata said while she ate, her fingers of her other hand playing nervously with her napkin.

"But I never did anything to him and at one point I actually thought he wanted to be my friend," I told her frustratingly.

_It's all his fault._ I thought while I mentally chased him with a frying pan. A big, heavy, metal frying pan. One that was just used on the stove and was still burning hot. That should do the trick.

"I haven't known Sasuke for that long, but I do know that that is how he is. He's very…what's the word…kept to himself. He's one of those people who doesn't want friends, even if he could have as many friends as he wants."

"But…oh never mind." I gave up with trying to explain it. It wasn't that I didn't get the vibe that he kept to himself; I totally got that vibe the first day. It was the weird feeling in me of some connection between us, of these weird dreams, of there being something there that was just waiting to be discovered.

"Okay, but if he does anything else then I'm here if you want to talk. Keeping that much stuff inside isn't good," she smiled shyly at me while pushing her plate away. The waiter came by and took our plates.

After some agreeing we decided to pay each for our own meals and left the combined money on the table. The café wasn't that far from our dorm so we decided to walk, the sun warming our skin.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hektos.

6.

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I walked into the classroom, thankful that Hinata had shown me where it was because I would have never found it on my own. When I had said the school was big, I had meant it in every aspect.

The room was large and there were plenty of seats to pick from, most of the students coming in after me and shuffling down the rows. I spotted a head of blond, spiky hair and started to move to the other side of the room. It wasn't that I didn't like Naruto, but something told me that if I sat next to him then I wouldn't be able to concentrate at all.

As if he could sense me, he turned his head and looked around the room. I mentally groaned when he spotted me and started waving at me, his chair tipping back on its back legs. It almost fell over but Naruto managed to grip the edge of the table before he fully tipped over, a screech coming from his mouth and making those around him either shake their heads or laugh.

I made my way down the isle and walked behind the chairs to the one next to his. All the desks were connected into one long desk with chairs placed evenly apart to give each student enough space to work.

Just as I sat down next to him the teacher walked in, making his way down the isle and stopping to chat with students. His eyes caught mine as I watched him chat with them and he gave me a friendly smile.

I smiled back, hoping he wouldn't come over and make me introduce myself to the class since I was new.

"You must be our new student, I'm Mr. Takishi and welcome to my classroom." I was so lost in my fear of having to stand in front of the class that I didn't even realize that he had walked up to me. He held out his hand and we shook hands, his grip strong and warm.

"Hello, it's good to be here," I told him truthfully, not that he would understand the double meaning.

"So what made you decide to take Human Theory?" He questioned as he leaned against the desk next to mine. To me he seemed laid back, a teacher that got along with his students and also taught them well. Like every other aspect of this university, he fit right into the perfect picture.

"Well I'm planning to go into the medical field," I said while I tried to hold back the blush that was coming to my face. It wasn't that often that I talked about my future plans, but I did love talking about it, and I was proud of my choice of a future career.

"Ahh, Pre-Med is a wonderful choice. I almost went into Pre-Med myself but I changed courses on a whim and here I am, and loving every minute it." He looked at Naruto and grimaced. "Well, not every minute."

"Hey! Mr. Takishi I thought you loved me being in your class," Naruto all but yelled, making both of us wince at the pitch of his voice.

"Only when you're sleeping Naruto, and once again why are you taking this class?" I held back my snicker as the teacher turned his full attention on Naruto who was now just realizing that his outburst was spurring on a throw down with the teacher.

"Well I was hoping that I could learn where ramen came from, and come on teach you have to teach it! If I was the teacher every class would be about the origins of ramen," Naruto had a glaze in his eyes and he imagined what the class would be like with him as the teacher.

Mr. Takishi shook his head with a secret smile. "If you were the teacher Naruto then the class would have no students."

"Yes I would! I would have more students than you, you're just jealous and won't admit that I would," Naruto told him with a smirk, his arms behind his head and his chair tipped back on two legs.

Suddenly he tipped backwards, his chair slamming into the desk behind his. "Sasuke you're such a bastard! That wasn't nice, I could have fallen and cracked my head open and died."

"That was what I was hoping for," Sasuke said as he sat down in the chair next to Naruto. I hadn't even noticed him walk in the room, or the girls that were suddenly sitting down around us. They were like a swarm of bees, and he was the Queen Bee.

_Not that he's sweet or anything. _I thought with a mental snort. He was bitter honey that somehow ended up with a whole handful of salt, or bowl full.

I willed myself not to look at him, not when I could still feel the wounds in my chest. Just looking at him would probably make me go into a cardiac arrest, which would probably make him smile and cheer as I died on the floor. He would have done it if it had been Naruto, so why would he not do it if it was me.

"I guess it's time for me to start then, it's refreshing to have a smart student like you in here Sakura and I hope we can talk some other time about your choice of medicine." And with that he went back to the isle and descended the stairs.

As if I cue, everyone went to their seats and quickly opened their notebooks or laptops. After some paper shuffling and desk arranging, Mr. Takishi set off into a lecture about the human's reactions.

Surprisingly enough I found myself interested the lecture. Usually I just listened to the key points and took notes on them, but I was hanging off his every word. And with a glance around the room I noticed everyone else was, besides Naruto who had dozed off.

Without a doubt I knew that Naruto had been wrong, that the teacher definitely would have more students because of his ability to captivate the students' attentions and keep them on him.

Without thinking my eyes flicked over to him, and I immediately scolded myself. I had been doing so good, not a glance during the first hour and a half. Or a single thought for that matter. But I had broken my silent record.

I studied his face, the perfectly chiseled bone structure, the hairless jaw and chin, the straight nose. His upper lip was on the thinner side, but his lower lip was plump and full. They made me want to kiss them, to see if they were as soft as they looked.

If I had been an artist then his face would have been the perfect subject. My eyes roamed up to his midnight black hair. The back really did look like a chicken's ass, and I wondered how it came to be like that. Was it a gene? Or did he style it?

_Stop it Sakura, you're not even suppose to be looking at him._ I allowed myself one more moment of looking before I directed my eyes back to the front. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed him looking at me, but I tried to ignore it. Had he caught me staring? If he had then I vowed never to look at him again, no matter how hard that would be, and if he hadn't then I still vowed not to.

The rest of the class went by in a blur, Naruto sleeping through most of it, and my eyes staying firmly away from the he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned.

I stood up when Mr. Takishi finally dismissed us. My legs ached from sitting for so long and I was anxious to get moving again.

Sasuke smacked Naruto in the back of the head, waking him up from his slumber. "You could have just shook me you know."

"What fun would that have been then?"

"It may be fun for you but I'm the one that's going to have a lump on his head now."

"You should have thought about that before you fell asleep in class."

I rolled my eyes as they bickered like a married couple. At that thought I snorted and headed down the row towards the isle.

Naruto called after me, their little bantering done with, and quickly moved down the row also. He shoved chairs aside like they weighed nothing, but was stopped by a group slowly making their way down the row also.

I slowed my pace up the steps and waited for him. My foot accidentally stepped on something hard and startled, I looked up.

"I'm so sorry—"

"You should be." Gaping I stared at the person whose foot I had just stepped on. She was the girl from earlier, Ami if I remembered correctly, with the serious attitude problem.

"Excuse me?" I felt bad for stepping on her foot but that gave her no right to be snotty to me. It dawned on me that she had been sitting in front of me in class, something I hadn't noticed till I thought about it, and it surprised me even more that she was even in the class.

"You could have broken my foot with your ignoramus foot, and you scuffed my shoe," she said with a sneer, her eyes sliding past me and immediately lighting up. "Hey Sasuke, fancy seeing you here, didn't think we were in the same class.

Everything clicked. She was in the class for Sasuke, talk about waste of time and money. Seeing as her attention was now diverted to Sasuke and not me gave me the chance to walk past her. I would have more than gladly picked a fight, but I didn't want to damage her face up too much, plus getting in trouble wasn't my style either.

Three of Ami's friends stood behind her, their glares directed at me. I ignored them too, they wouldn't pounce unless their leader told them too, and passed them also. One of them moved closer and I titled my torso to avoid slamming into her shoulder.

My arm touched hers and my hair on my arms rose. My eyes snapped to hers and it seemed like slow motion as I moved past her. I felt tingles run down my spine in warning and time seemed to speed up again.

The tingles continued as I walked out of the classroom and leaned against the wall next to the doorway. Students passed me but I barely paid attention to them. I felt goosebumps erupt all over me and I shivered at the sudden coldness of my body.

_What's happening?_ I leaned against the wall, my hands on my knees, my form bent over rigidly till the tingles stopped. I had gone so long without them then I had almost forgotten how they felt, and how they left me breathless.

I glanced up and found Sasuke standing in front of me, Naruto at his side. Both stood close enough to shield me from those passing by, Naruto with his back to me and his hands in his pockets lazily.

I straightened and took a large gulp of air. Sasuke stared at me with his black fathomless eyes, a powerful emotion making his face twist with concern. This was the closest I had ever seen of emotion from him, besides in my dreams.

"I'm fine, just got a sudden headache," I told him, lying through my teeth. For affect, I raised my hands and rubbed my temples, screwing up my face in slight pain. He seemed to sense that I was lying though because his eyes roamed my face for another moment before he nodded. Naruto turned around then and gave me a toothy smile.

"Wanna get some ramen? I'm starving."

"We always eat ramen," Sasuke said while glaring at Naruto.

"But ramen is the best. How can anyone ever get tired of it?" I rolled my eyes. Just hearing him talk about it made me get tired of it.

"No moron, only you don't get tired of it." I glanced at Sasuke as he said that. Why was he always so cruel? Especially to Naruto who seemed to be his closest friend, if not his only friend.

"If you really want it Naruto then I guess I can stomach one night of it," I told him. I was suddenly enveloped in a huge hug, almost tripping over Naruto's feet as he walked and hugged me at the same time.

I stumbled when he finally stopped, unable to get my footing back after being dragged sideways down the hallway. Sasuke grabbed my arm and steadied me, his fingers warm and his grip strong. I quietly thanked him, surprised that he was actually touching me. His fingers lingered on my arm, drawing so many goosebumps to my skin that it was almost painful, before his arm dropped back to his side.

I bet he would wash his hands as soon as he could. He was probably afraid he was going to get some disease now since that's how he treated me most of the time, like I had some horrible disease.

"I'm going to go meet Hinata once she gets out of class and we'll meet you at Ichiraku Ramen Bar," Naruto said as he raced down the hall and turned a corner, his squeal of excitement echoing all the way down the hall.

"Now he's going to think you want to get ramen every night." I looked up at Sasuke, once again shocked that he was actually talking to me in a civil manner.

"Then I'll tell him that we should go somewhere else to eat instead," I told him, keeping my voice from going up a notch in excitement. It was different to be talking to him like this, like we were friends, and I secretly loved it.

We turned a corner and I followed Sasuke. I had no clue where we were going, or where this Ichiraku Ramen Bar was. I didn't even know what part of the building I was in right now.

The silence bugged me, and a little part of me wished that we could talk some more. For some reason I liked talking to Sasuke, when he wasn't pmsing that is. Almost all of our past conversations had consisted of him either ending with some mean comment, or doing something that left me speechless and confused.

"Why do you do that?" I accidently said out loud under my breath. I hadn't intended for him to hear it but I knew he had when he turned his head and looked at me.

"Do what?" His face was perfectly emotionless, like always. We turned another corner and headed towards the stairs on the left.

"One minute you hate me, and the next you're acting like you actually care. You're like a roller coaster, up and down, and it's honestly starting to give me a headache," I told him honestly, almost tripping down the stairs in the process. Sasuke managed to grab my arm again before I could face plant down a flight of stairs and break my neck, proving my point. He seemed to be in the caring mode, a great relief from the hatred that might be looming somewhere in him, ready to spring out at me at any moment.

I waited nervously for his response. That was the most honest thing I had ever told him, and I waited for him to explode at me.

"I thought you already had a headache," he finally said, his eyes flicking to me as we got to the bottom of the stairway and walked down another hallway. The building was huge, and I hoped that I never got lost in it.

"I do, but you're making it worse." I followed him around another corner, there were so many corners in this building too that I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't go in a complete square.

Suddenly we were in the entryway, the large room encasing different artistic sculptures and paintings.

"Then I'll go," he said as we crossed the room and made our way for the front door which was surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. The sun was setting, casting its reddish orange rays through the windows and over everything it could reach. Sasuke's eyes took on a reddish hue, the black reflecting the rays and making them glow. At that moment I thought he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.

By the time his words registered with me we were outside, the breeze making my hair dance around my face. I scrunched my nose as a strand brushed the side of my nose, making me want to sneeze.

"Ichiraku Ramen Bar is that way, take a couple lefts and you'll find it," Sasuke said while he pointed down the path. Then he started walking in the opposite direction. I stood there for a moment, angry that he was going to strand me here and make me find the place on my own, and even angrier that he wasn't going to answer my question.

"You're not going anywhere till you answer my question," I told him as I grabbed onto the back of his shirt. He stopped, his back rigid and stiff under my hand.

"I don't have an answer." His eyes glared at me over his shoulder, commanding that I let go of his shirt. My fear rose but I kept my strong grip on his shirt.

"Yes you do, you just don't want to tell me." Suddenly my wrist was in his grip, his strong slender fingers radiating heat into my skin and up my arm. I had to fight the shudder that threatened to overtake my body, my body heat rising till it was almost uncomfortable. Even as my body heat rose I didn't want him to let go, not now, not ever.

"You're right, I don't want to tell you because you don't need to know." He released my wrist and just stood there staring at me, challenging me to pick a fight with him.

I accepted the challenge head on, leaning in till I could see the different flecks of black and dark red in his eyes. It took some willpower to not get lost in them, their fathomless depths nearly sucking me in and drowning me. "Yes I do, I have every right to know why you hate me because I didn't do anything to you."

"You're just there, that's reason enough," he said strongly, his voice harsh.

I stared at him in shock. For a moment I wasn't sure he had actually said it but when he just stood there and stared at me, I know I had heard right. The pain slowly bloomed in my chest till I could feel it beating all through me.

My eyes welled up and I turned away, heading down the path. It wasn't until then that I realized that it was lightly sprinkling. Students ran around me on both sides, shrieking and shouting as the rain got heavier.

_I should have known._

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The days flew by as I juggled classes, training, and spasming tingles all at once. It was even harder to avoid Sasuke though since he seemed to be everywhere I was now. I thought back to when he had told me that my very presence was what made him hate me.

Thankfully that had been a couple weeks, if not a month or more. I had forced myself to stop counting after the first week, the words pathetic and foolish popping into my mind so many times that it gave me the strength to avoid him in person and in my thoughts.

"Are you going to train Sakura?" Hinata asked from inside her closet.

I affirmed that I was as I quickly changed into my training clothes, comfy shorts, a shirt, and sneakers. Class had been long today, the virtual dissecting of a human the most interesting aspect of the whole lecture.

"Okay, then I'll go with you and maybe we can grab some dinner after?" She came out of her closet the same time I did, her attire consisting of sweatpants, a tee-shirt, and sneakers.

Auntie had brought Hinata in sometimes during my training to have us spar. She said that it was to help give me a sense of different opponents. At first I had wondered if Auntie was just bored with me, or if she was sick of beating me, but as Hinata beat me over and over again I noticed that I was slowly assessing her moves.

This newfound fact had helped me lengthen the time between the beginning of the spar and my defeat. Auntie seemed to notice too, not that she ever missed anything, and would constantly switch between her sparring with me and Hinata, trying to mess me up and confuse me.

It had only worked for a short amount of time though. My instinct was able to tell the difference, and I slowly started to listen to my instinct more than my mind, which helped a great deal.

I mentally shook my head. No need to think about how so much had changed in the past weeks. "Sounds great, Auntie said she wouldn't be able to be there tonight and I need a sparring partner," I told her as I grabbed my water bottle out of the mini fridge near the door.

Hinata and I had come to the decision about a week ago that a mini fridge would be perfect for our room, and so we had ordered one and it had arrived a couple days ago. I personally loved it; the fact that I could now keep some food in there so I didn't have to go downstairs and possibly face Sasuke was a sweet haven all in itself.

I handed Hinata a water bottle and we quickly made our way out of the building and towards the martial arts gym. Thankfully no one was there when we got there, Hinata's relief mirroring my own. I wondered how many came here each week. Were Hinata and I the only ones that came besides Auntie?

We left our shoes at the door and went to grab our wooden katanas. A couple weeks ago Auntie had introduced me to the wooden katana. It was the same weight as a normal katana but the blade's edge was round and dull, not able to slice anything unless with extreme force. She had explained that now the sparring could be taken seriously, without the need to hold back from hitting each other.

The very first day we had used them I ended up leaving with more bruises than I could count on my fingers and toes combined. And weirdly enough I had enjoyed the ache the bruises left. It was like a physical reminded that I was working hard.

But as the days went by I started to snap back into things. My body moved easier, the stiffness of my muscles loosening up. I started to move without thinking about it, a skill I had long since forgotten. Auntie had also noticed because sooner than I thought we moved into sparring.

I wasn't sure if it was because I had mastered everything she had to teach me, but I doubted that was. We still worked on different moves, but we mainly did sparring. She claimed that it was more important to know how to fight someone than to master a move, so I just kept quiet and followed her instructions.

After both of us were done stretching and some doing some simple warm ups we started our sparring. Like always, Hinata beat me before the first ten minutes were up, her katana held at my neck as I kneeled on the floor.

We continued on, my defeat coming slower each time as my body sang with more energy. I leapt left and right to avoid her katana, rising my own to deflect a powerful blow before counterattacking with my own swing.

Ducking as she swung for my torso, I kicked her legs from out under her. She spun and landed on her hands and knees before rolling over her head and landing on her feet, her back to me.

I charged at her and she ducked to the left, holding her katana inches from her cheek and holding mine between her katana and her hand, locking it in place.

Before I could figure out a way to free my katana it was sliding across the floor and I was standing there with the tip of Hinata's katana at my neck.

We continued again, this time I was able to land a blow to her ribcage, a hit would have been fatal if done with a real katana. It held little satisfaction thought because seconds later I was sprawled on the floor with her katana at my cheek.

"Would you like to go get some dinner now? I'm starving, I was running late for class earlier so I missed lunch," Hinata said while pulling her katana away from my face. She extended me a hand and I took it, getting to my feet.

"Sure, I've gotten my ass handed to me enough for tonight," I told her with a laugh. I would have been ashamed at being defeated so many times but all of this was so I could improve. It was to master the art of the katana, not to boost my pride.

"You didn't do that bad Sakura, just a little more practice and you'll be as good as me." I mentally replaced her 'a little' with 'a lot'. When we had first started sparring I had been surprised at her skills.

When you looked at Hinata you would never have expected that she would be able to have you on your stomach and begging for mercy in five seconds flat. She moved with a grace that spoke of expertise. When she swung, she swung with such force that I felt it vibrate through our connected katanas and move up my arms into my shoulders.

"It took me much longer than you to learn the art," she continued as we headed out of the building and towards the cluster of restaurants a couple of blocks away. Hinata had filled me in on all the good places to eat. Naruto had tried to do the same but he could only come up with the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

We chatted about different classes and teachers until we got to that street, then the conversation switched to which placed we wanted to eat at.

Finally after some minutes of 'no you pick' and 'oh no it's your turn' we finally decided to get the order to go and grab a movie from this little movie store on the way back to the dorm. Hinata picked a sandwich shop at the end of the row of buildings, telling me that I could pick the movie.

After we got our orders to go we headed to the movie shop. The sky got darker as we walked down the sidewalk, passing students who looked ready to party the night away or crash into a bush with exhaustion.

We lapsed into comfortable silence and I could hear the crickets in the distance, singing their melody to anyone in hearing distance. I wondered how they could do it all night, didn't they get tired? Didn't the other animals get tired of hearing them?

The movie shop was suddenly right in front of us. I hadn't even notice that we had turned onto the street.

Naruto was outside whistling a high pitched, ear hurting tune.

"Hey guys! Movie night for you too?" He stopped whistling and walked away from the wall he had been leaning against.

"Yes, we decided to bring dinner back to our room and eat while watching a movie," Hinata responded, her face radiating with a hidden joy. I had started to notice Hinata's hidden affection for Naruto, not that I had mentioned anything to her. She was modest, and I preferred not to mention the fact that I could see where her feelings laid, especially when she might have a heart attack because of it in embarrassment.

"I have the best idea ever! Why don't you guys come over after you eat and we could watch both movies together," Naruto said in an excited tone. He practically bounced from one foot to the other like a rabbit on two legs and on some serious caffeine.

"What do you think Sakura?" I nodded, not able to turn down Naruto and ruin Hinata's hopeful joy.

"I'll just go pick out a movie then and we can head back to the dorm," I mumbled and went into the store before they could respond. I wasn't sure I wanted to hang out all night in Naruto's room. He was the roommate of Sasuke, so there was a very high chance that he would be there too. Unless he was out partying all night…

Ha, yeah right. Mr. Anti-Social was definitely not a partier.

I slowly moved down the first row, looking at each movie cover. Which movie should I pick? Hinata had mentioned this one movie that she had really wanted to see but I had no clue where it would be in the store. I guess I would just have to go through each row till I found it.

I turned the corner and bumped into something hard. "What the—"

I looked up. Had I somehow misjudged the corner's size and run into the shelf? The midnight black spiked hair was the first thing I saw, the shock quickly wearing off into stronger feelings that told me to retreat.

My eyes moved to his, the black orbs reflecting the lighting from the ceiling lights and twinkling lightly. I mentally told myself that even though his eyes twinkled that didn't mean that they held any emotion.

I scolded myself for not thinking sooner of the possibility of him being here. Naruto had been waiting outside instead of being in here looking for a movie, hint one. Sasuke clearly towered over me, which meant he was tall enough to be visible over the shelf and I should have seen him, hint two. Naruto had said 'we' when he mentioned movie night, and clearly he hadn't meant another girl, hint three.

_I'm so stupid. All that avoiding just to run into him here, where we are alone and he'll probably word bash me again. _I thought glumly.

"Following me now?" I glared up at him. He had the nerve to say that to me when it was clear that following him was the last thing I ever wanted to do. His tone was light and for a moment I thought I heard a teasing hint in there but I doubted it. I bet he was just waiting for me to say something that he could use against me to insult me.

"What's that block up your butt? Oh, it's your ego," I told him mockingly while looking him right in the eye.

But I wasn't going to play that game, not anymore. I decided that a hit and run was a better option, hit him where it hurt and leave him wallowing on the floor in pain.

He just stood there, his face just barely showing shock. I gave him my most innocently smug smile I could muster before I walked past him and kept looking for a movie I wanted.

A silent prayer was sent up to whoever was listening, my hope of Sasuke not talking to me at the top of the list.

Clearly it wasn't heard thought because footsteps approached me from behind.

"I don't have an ego." I turned around and gave him a sarcastic look.

"Have you listened to yourself lately?" I turned around and continued down the row for a moment before I looked over my shoulder at him. "You do."

"No…I don't," he said behind me as he came closer until his chest was nearly touching my shoulder. I would feel the body heat radiating off of him and it made this delicious feeling erupt all over my skin, like tingles only pleasanter.

"You just can't let go of the fact that you do, can you?" I asked as continued down the row and turned into the one next to it. He followed close behind, too close, making me feel uncomfortable and giving me the sense that he was the predator and I was the prey. I mentally shook my head, I refused to be the prey, especially to the likes of him.

"It's a fact that I don't," he replied in a voice of sureness. Suddenly he was in front of me, his body blocking me from moving further down the row.

"You seriously need to record yourself and listen to the things you say. Some of those things aren't exactly pleasant." I tried to move around him but he didn't budge. My plan to avoid him was failing miserably, especially when he was trapping me in the movie store.

He grabbed my shoulder when I turned around and tried to walk away. I spun around, ignoring the tingles that seemed to run from his hand and into my shoulder, and tried to smack his hand away. That didn't work either for he grabbed my wrist as it flew through the air, further trapping me as I tried to free my hand from his strong grip.

"Like what?" His voice was soft, as if it caused him pain just to say those words. Why it would be a pain to say two little words I didn't know because the anger washed over me as I gaped at him.

Sasuke seriously had no clue as to how much he had offended me ever since I got here? It all suddenly came out in a rush of anger. All the confusion, all the frustration, and most of all, all the pain.

"Like what?" My strength increased along with my anger and I suddenly found it easy to tear my hand out of his grip. "You said my mere presence was a burden to you and I sure as hell didn't feel any nice feelings coming from you when you said that…the only thing I felt from you was the hatred, and it hurt, a lot."

As I spoke Sasuke's eyes dropped to the ground in the last expressions I expected he would ever feel, shame and regret. I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn't. Well, if he was going to be quiet and not say anything then I didn't need to continue standing here waiting.

Waiting was for those who were fine with wasting their lives away, but not for me. I wasn't going to waste anymore of my life waiting for something from him that I didn't know of, or understand. Maybe I was waiting for him to see me as a person with feelings. Or maybe I was just waiting for that passion I had seen in my dreams, something that I would never see in reality. Or even just a little shred of kindness from him would be nice.

I turned around and walked a couple of rows down to continue my search. Those couple of rows I imagined as very thick walls that would hopefully keep him away from me, at least till I could recollect my thoughts and put a leash back on my anger.

My anger finally quieted down and I sighed dejectedly as other feelings rose to the surface. Even though I had just admitted to him the extent of what I was feeling, it didn't make me feel any better.

My mind argued that he deserved it, that it was his fault. And it was his fault. He shouldn't have said all those things and hated me so much if he hadn't wanted it to be his fault, if he hadn't wanted to feel all that shame.

But another part of me, maybe it was my soul, or maybe it was my heart, wanted to go back and smooth out the sad lines in his face and kiss it all better for him.

_No, he brought this upon himself._ I thought, forcing the feelings to comfort him away.

My stomach growled then, bringing me back from out of my thoughts. I quickly picked the movie Bolt, it looked cute and I bet Hinata wouldn't mind seeing it.

The line wasn't too long at the front so I didn't have to wait long. It wasn't that hard to ignore the urge to look around for Sasuke since my anger still simmered slightly under the surface.

Just as I was about to pay for the movie Sasuke came up beside me and placed his movie next to mine. I glared up at him in annoyance. He just had to keep pushing my buttons didn't he?

"I'm not paying for your movie," I told him, hoping he would just leave me alone and go to the back of the line where he belonged.

"I know," he replied while pulling out his wallet from his front pocket. I just stood there speechless as he paid for both of the movies and then grasped my arm and moved towards the door.

"Are you trying to buy me off?" Normally I would have just thanked him and been done with it but his nice gesture seemed too nice to me.

And I had every reason to think that too. Sasuke just didn't go from mean to nice in a couple of minutes. Mean to meaner, yes. Mean to really confusing, sometimes. Mean to caring, rarely. But mean to nice, never.

"No, I'm not." I gave him an exasperated look but he ignored it. I wouldn't allow it this time though. I pulled my arm from his hold and instead grabbed his, stopping him and earning a dark look from him. I guess he didn't like being stopped, especially by me.

"It seems like you are to me and when someone apologizes to me I prefer words, not gifts," I said quietly, making him have to tilt his head slightly forward to hear me better. I wasn't one for public scenes and by the looks from the girls in the store they would be more than glad to come to Sasuke's defense, no matter what he had done.

"I'm just trying to be nice. Can't you just accept it and let it go?"

"No, not when nice isn't in your vocabulary." His look grew darker and he tilted his head closer. I once again could see those reddish black specs in his eyes and it made my mind go blank and my body go haywire for a moment.

I was pathetic. Here I was having an argument with an ass of a guy who couldn't say two nice words to me in one sentence, or paragraph for that matter, and I was getting lost in his dazzling eyes!

Instead of responding he turned around and pulled me out of the door. He dropped my arm before Naruto and Hinata could turn around and see.

"Let's go," he muttered loud enough for them to hear, then started down the street.

"Wait up man, let's just walk at a normal pace, my legs can't keep up," Naruto yelled at Sasuke's back while trying to keep at his pace.

"It's not just your legs that can't keep up." Naruto went to smack Sasuke in the back of the head but missed. He went to hit Sasuke again but stopped at the dark look that was suddenly directed at him.

A long time ago I would have thought this exchange was weird but now it was normal. Naruto's idiotic ways had finally worked their way into my daily routine, and even though sometimes they were just downright strange, I was glad he was here. He made the mood light, something that Sasuke clearly failed at.

We made it back to the dorm all too quickly. I wanted to stay outside for as long as I could, away from the confinement of Naruto and Sasuke's room.

I tried to eat as slowly as I could after we parted at our doors but it also came to an end. Hinata seemed to be more eager than me to get over there and start the movies so I had no choice but to go the moment we finished.

"You guys eat slow," Naruto stated as he opened the door not two seconds after Hinata had knocked. As we walked in I noticed that the room looked just like ours only with orangish yellows and bluish blacks. It looked like the room was portraying the opposite times of the day and I could quickly tell whose side was whose.

Hinata went and sat down on Naruto's bed with a blush and it was then that I realized there was no couch like in our room. Instead there was a large shelf with video games and other gadgets.

Before I could figure out where to sit Naruto pressed play and flopped on his bed next to Hinata, taking up all the rest of the space possible on his bed. She giggled as he moved around, shaking the bed and almost making her fall off.

Just as I was about to sit in one of the desk chairs the door opened behind me. Sasuke came in, making me catch my breath. His pajama pants hung low on hips and when he lifted his hand to scratch the back of his head his shirt came up to reveal millimeter after millimeter of wonderful skin.

I looked away when his shirt dropped back down, covering back up his abdomen and the hard edges of his hips. Unwanted images flashed through my mind, temporarily stunning me. Never before had my mind been that vivid and well…dirty.

Long fingers wrapped around my arm and dragged me over to the other bed. I glanced up, wondering why Sasuke was making me sit on his bed instead of leaving me to sit on the desk chair.

"The chair is uncomfortable, especially if you sit there for hours," he explained it like it was the most logical thing ever.

"Thanks…" I trailed off, still wondering why he was allowing me to sit on his bed with him. I wouldn't have been so shocked if he was sitting on the couch next to me, but this was his _bed_. The place where he slept every night and who knows what else he's done in it.

It brought more images to my mind which made me mad at myself. He was offering me a comfier place to sit than in the desk chair, and I was thinking way too much about it.

I decided to just enjoy the movies, and not the fact that we were sitting close enough that the body heat coming from the man next to me was giving me more than just a couple pleasurable tingles down my body.

The movie was some horror movie that Sasuke must have picked out because I had picked Bolt. It wasn't that bad at first. They were cave diving and suddenly they were trapped as some rocks blocked their only way out. There was some fighting between the group of girls about whose fault it was and then they were trying to find another way out.

I grabbed onto Sasuke's thigh the same time Hinata jumped as this gruesome looking thing came out of no where. There was some fighting as they tried to get away from it and some of them were dragged off. I wanted to look away but I couldn't, I wanted to see what would happen next.

"Sakura…" I looked up at Sasuke and suddenly realized I was crumpling up pajama pants.

"Sorry," I said as I felt my face heat up and hoped he wouldn't see it in the darkened room. I let go of the fabric and tried to unwrinkled it. Then I realized how messed up I must look trying to straighten out the wrinkle I had put in his pants which included rubbing his thigh.

I apologized again and put my hands back in my lap.

"It's all fake," he whispered quietly so only I could hear.

"I know but they keep coming out of nowhere," I replied in the same quiet voice. I was okay with the gruesome looking things in horror movies, but once they started popping up unexpectedly then I started to become a scaredy cat.

Another monster came up onto the screen, making Hinata jump again and a gasp escape me before I could hold it in. Once again my hand was on his thigh, clutching his pant's leg like a lifeline.

My knuckles protested as I slowly let up my grip. But instead of smoothing out his pant's leg like I expected him to, he placed his large warm hand over mine and held my hand on his thigh.

"What—" I began to ask but he cut me off. I focused on the reflection of the TV light in his eyes as I heard the music from the movie start up into another creepy theme.

"Clearly you are going to keep doing it so…" he trailed off, not wanting to finish the somewhat nice sentence. But I understood perfectly what he meant. It was his way of comforting me without saying it.

Some small part of me blamed him for picking out the movie in the first place but a bigger part of me was grateful. His thigh burned under my hand like a burning furnace.

The heat under my hand suddenly made the rest of my body feel cold and disconnected. It made me want to curl up at his side and soak up the heat like a dog in the sun. I wanted to snuggle under the blankets and press up against his body, all warm and cozy, while he whispered in my ear and caressed my body with his fingers.

I felt his hand wrap around my wrist and I came out of my little daydream. My face heated up when I realized that I had just been stroking his thigh. No, not clutching at the pant's leg, but _stroking_ it! The tips of my fingers still tingled from where I had been running them up and down his thigh slowly while I surrendered to my thoughts.

His hand was still around my wrist when I went to move it to my lap. Instead of pushing it away from him he just placed it back on his thigh, surprising me once again. It was as if something had clicked in him, changing him from the mean person that I was use to and into a nice person that left me confused and wondering what he was playing at.

The movie finished and Naruto quickly put in the other one. I tried to ignore the steady heat coming from Sasuke's thigh but it made me wander in unbidden thoughts.

Unlike before, the heat started to slowly drift up my arm and into my shoulder. Until then I had ignored the steady beat of tingles in my spine but I couldn't ignore them when the heat washed them away and left me in a heap of warm comfortable limbs.

My whole body was finally engulfed in heat, making me sigh and sink down against Sasuke. I felt him shift slightly but I ignored it. If he wanted to move me he could, I didn't care as long as the heat continued to pulse through my body.

The heated pulse lulled me to sleep, smoothing away all the aches and pains and leaving a delightful warmth in its place.

And for the first time in a long time, I had the feeling of home.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Well! That is all for now. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while but that's what No Longer Weak was for, to keep you all satisfied.

So you all should know the drill by now you: click, opinionate, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words :) or click, flame, submit=happy Riddler-of-Words!

And as we all know, a happy Riddler-of-Words means a higher chance of a quicker update…or not. I'm not sure yet, maybe I should test the theory out soon.

So, off topic here but I was thinking of trying out Aion, this new game coming out by NCsoft. I am a big gamer, well in the free game world, and was thinking of buying this and trying it because it looks _so _good! I mean, aerial combat? How cool is that! Very cool in my book. Is anyone else thinking of trying it? If you are I would love to hear your opinions on it and what roles you would like to play in the game!

So back on track, I would like to thank all my readers, no matter how little the group is compared to some of these other fantastic stories out there, who remind me everyday that I do have a story to write and that if I don't get writing then I will lose whatever little thoughts I keep in my brain to other random thoughts that invade it.

I do have an LJ and I might start going on there more and maybe posting some little scenes to see if people like them! No guarantees, but definitely a maybe. To get to it just go to my page and click the Homepage button and it should take you there.

Thank you and enjoy your reading! ^^


	7. Seven

Wow! I swear there is so much to do and so much work and just so little time that I thought I'd never get back to this story. And I honestly have not even thought one second about it because I have not had the time to! And when I did have time I was sleeping and relaxing…not that writing isn't relaxing. :D But you know what I mean. Unfortunately every scene I have written in advance has not gotten a chance yet to be used but hopefully soon! Very soon I pray. And if not very soon, then I will make it very soon.

**Warning:** This has not been fully proofread, like all my other chapters, and will be proofread later, again like all my other chapters. You should know the drill by now, so maybe the day after tomorrow it'll be fully proofread.

Also there is a little secret I'll reveal at the end of this chapter, so see you down under!

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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Sasuke stared down at the girl slumped against his arm. His fingers still held her hand captive against his thigh and instead of feeling uncomfortable about it he felt calm. Her hand felt like a soothing balm to his heated skin through his pants.

The movie dragged on, his attention not drawn to TV but to Sakura. Her body was soft and a heavy reassurance that this was not a dream and that she was actually there.

She smelled of lavender and plums. It swirled around him and gave him the urge to lean in and take a deep breath. It also made him want to cocoon himself in his blankets with her and wake up to her beautiful face.

He wanted her to rest her head on his pillow along side his and have his pillow smell of her for the rest of eternity.

Not only did these thoughts disturb him but they made the urges stronger. Why couldn't he just bury these feelings away in some box with the label 'Do Not Open' and push it into the back of his mind?

But like every other day since she had gotten here, he knew it wasn't that easy. And it never was, not when the feelings were so strong and foreign.

Sadness unwillingly washed over him when the movie ended, meaning Sakura had to go back to her room now.

He was tempted to just let her stay there, in his bed. No one would notice, it's not like the teachers actually checked to make sure everyone was in their own room.

But of course there were fangirls around every corner, ready to pounce and especially ready to gossip. They didn't care that Sasuke wanted privacy. They didn't care that he wasn't interested. And they especially didn't care when he said no, to them it just meant that tomorrow they had another opportunity to try.

Surely they would get wind of him letting Sakura sleep in his room, and so that was not an option. Not only would they swarm to him like bees, demanding the truth and in tears, but they would go after Sakura and try to eliminate her as a threat.

Sasuke couldn't help but think differently about Sakura. Unlike other girls, she had been trying to avoid him. And ignore him. And insult him.

Which she was doing a very good job of, not that he noticed. Oh no, the cold hearted Sasuke Uchiha did not notice what other girls did, especially when they were annoying.

But that was the problem. Sakura was annoying in a good way, if that was possible. She avoided him because she didn't want to see him, something no other girl would do. She ignored him because she didn't want to talk to him even when other girls would give anything to talk to him. And insulting him didn't even faze her, not when other girls could only compliment him.

Sasuke sighed and shifted his weight, wrapping his arm around Sakura's shoulders and pulling her upper body against his chest. His other arm went under her knees, lifting her completely off the bed.

He kneeled there on the bed, in his arms the only girl who had ever dared to stand up for herself against him.

And suddenly, like a flick of a light bulb in his head, he realized that even though he had been pushing her away, she had unknowingly carved herself somewhere into his heart.

As he carried her to her own bed and watched placed the covers over her, he vowed to himself that although she was in his heart that didn't mean he would let it show.

Not now. Not ever. Because he was not weak, and only the weak showed their inner feelings.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Hepta.

7.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I woke to the birds annoying chirping outside my window. Couldn't they do that later in the day when everyone wasn't sleeping?

A crow decided to join the chorus just then, going back and forth with another bird.

Guess not.

As I sat up I expected to see a bedspread of blue, along with a certain hot male under it. But the bedspread was pink, and the only body under it was my own.

Disappointment ran through me before I could hold it back.

Then the confusion set in. Why was I in my own bed? The last thing I could remember was falling asleep, to my mortification, against Sasuke's shoulder.

On his bed.

I could feel the blush spread through my face, the heat making the rest of my body fire up. The sheets were suddenly stifling, along with the whole situation.

I wasn't allowed to wish to be in his bed, with him. Big no-no.

I wasn't allowed to want his body next to mine, warming me with his body heat. I didn't need his warmth.

And I certainly wasn't allowed to be disappointed because he wasn't next to me when I woke up.

It occurred to me then that somehow I must have gotten moved from his bed to mine. It couldn't have been Naruto who carried me either considering he could wake the living dead with his voice alone.

Hinata's back faced me as she continued to sleep, unaffected by anything other than her dreams. Naruto must have carried her in, or she could have walked here on her own. So that left Sasuke, Mr. Heartless Wonder.

Well, if he had carried me in here then he must have a heart right? Unless he just wanted to get me off his bed so he could go to sleep. But if that was the case then he could have just put me on the floor or something.

I shook my head. Why should I be wasting my time thinking about silly stuff that wasn't needed?

I got up and quickly changed into some sweatpants and a shirt, not wanting to freeze my ass off. A quick glance at the clock told me that I had enough time to go to the Martial Arts Gym and get some practice before my eleven o'clock class.

I jogged to the gym, figuring it could be a warm up both for my workout and stopping the chills.

By the time I got there the sun was higher in the sky than when I had first woken up. Its rays warmed up my skin immediately while the wind cooled me down.

I stood there in the windy rays for a moment, admiring my surroundings. It was the perfect day, not too warm or cold.

My perfect day disappeared when I walked through the door. There stood Mr. Emotionless himself, all sweaty and perfect and—

_Shut up before you start drooling like a moron. _I scolded myself while dropping my bag near the door and heading towards the weapons room.

When I came back out Sasuke was wiping his face and neck with a towel while he gulped from a water bottle.

As mean as it sounded, I wanted him to leave. It was bad enough that from the moment I woke up he had been on my mind, I didn't need him in my sight too. No offense to him and his perfect features.

Alas the luck wasn't on my side. Sasuke settled back into his place by the far wall, completely ignoring me. At least that much luck was on my side. Who knew what might come out of his mouth. It would be either something that made me want to smack him in the face or melt into a puddle of mush.

Yes, he was just that unpredictable. Just like my stupid feelings.

I settled into my stance, starting my routine without even thinking about it.

Heavy pants and grunts echoed throughout the room, but I couldn't tell which one of us made them, my concentration blocking out everything else.

I could feel the swish of air against my skin as I raised and lowered my katana quickly, spinning and snapping it against invisible enemies.

"Do you want to spar?" I stopped in shock, my eyes snapping to Sasuke's dark, bottomless ones.

"What?" Had I really heard him right? Or was I just imagining it? Maybe I was somehow hit over the head and rendered unconscious and was dreaming.

"I don't like repeating myself," Sasuke said, the scowl on his face making me mentally wince. "Do you want to spar?"

"Sure," I told him nervously. He worked out here all the time, so there was no doubt that he wasn't excellent.

We started out across from each other, but I quickly found myself dodging his attacks and on the other side of the room. One minute we were rolling on the ground and the next we were feet away from each other and charging.

All of a sudden he was charging at me so fast that I didn't have time to react and then I was on the ground, his katana at my neck while mine was a couple inches from my fingers. My wrist was pinned under his knee while my other was caged in his grip.

Although I was upset that he had beaten me, I was proud that it had taken him this long. He was also out of breath, and it felt good to know that I gave him a difficult time achieving victory.

I could feel his breath on my lips, ghosting over my face and warming my skin. I tried to ignore the proximity of his body to mine, of the hard muscle that was pinning me down without an effort.

His dark orbs held mine captive, engulfing me in forbidden feelings. And just like that he was on his feet, all restraints on my limbs gone along with his heat.

And damn it I missed it already. Not even two seconds and I was already missing his close presence. Thankfully it faded as he walked into the weapons room and put his katana back.

Well fine, if he wanted to ignore me again then I didn't mind that. In fact, I wanted him to ignore me. Yes, that's right Sasuke. Ignore me. Then at least I won't have to worry about all these annoying feelings, especially when they went haywire when he was close.

"Nice job." I looked up at Sasuke, wondering if I had just heard him correctly or if I had been imagining it again, but he was looking straight at me. He stared at me for another moment before walking out the door, leaving me speechless.

And just like that Sasuke Uchiha was able to render me into a state of confusion with just two words, again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I quickly showered before I grabbed my stuff and headed downstairs for some food before my Psychology Class. There was nothing worse than having to sit there and listen to a boring lecture while you were hungry. And the stomach noises weren't pleasant either when others stared at you.

Thankfully there was no Sasuke in sight when I walked into the kitchen. At least now I would be able to keep my appetite.

I made a sandwich and sat next down to Hinata who was eating some meal involving pasta. She seemed to eat pasta a lot, and I started to wonder if it had anything to do with a certain blond haired loudmouth.

"Do you have class this afternoon?" She asked me quietly.

"Yeah, do you?"

"Unfortunately," she said while nodding. "Business Management, it's an interesting class, but very long and time consuming."

"Just the name sounds long," I commented with a laugh. "Does it have to do with accounting and money, or is it just about businesses?"

"Accounting and money, but honestly," she lowered her voice as if she were embarrassed at what she was about to say. "When I get my own business, I plan to hire an accountant instead of doing all the math on my own…I hate math."

I couldn't help but laugh. I should have known that she would hate math, she was going to be an English major.

We ate in comfortable silence, but something nagged in the back of my head. It's not that I was embarrassed to ask it, but I didn't want to seem obsessive. Or stalker like.

"Hinata…" I hesitated before deciding to just blurt it out. "Does Sasuke have a tattoo?"

She stiffened and I immediately regretted saying it. Of course it was a stalker like question. She was probably labeling me as a fangirl in her head at this very moment.

"He does, but please don't ask how I know that," she said quietly, her cheeks a bright red. Her answer shocked me, not the part about knowing how she knew he had a tattoo, but the part where she confirmed that he had a tattoo.

So I hadn't been out of my mind when I saw it. And I hadn't been out of my mind when I realized it looked quiet similar to the one in my dream. But maybe it was just a common interest, them either liking dragons or flames or swirling curves.

And then I realized how crazy I sounded…in my own head. They were one person. Not two, or any other number, but one.

"It doesn't matter Hinata, I don't need to know how you knew," I told her and watched as her shoulders dropped in relief.

"Thanks Sakura."

We finished our lunches quickly when we realized that we only had twenty minutes to get to class. And we had a far walk to get there too.

I walked out of the kitchen and went to round the corner, only to run into someone.

"I'm sorry—" I cut myself off as I saw who it was.

"Stop cuffing up my shoes, or you'll have to buy me new ones," Ami told me with a glare which did nothing to scare me.

"Maybe if you stopped getting in the way then you wouldn't have that problem," I told her before I turned to step around her.

"Maybe if your big forehead didn't droop so low and block your eyesight then you would stop slamming into people," she said while she brushed past me, her shoulder bumping mine painfully. She may be skinny, but she sure as heck had boney shoulders.

But it was the tingles that left me breathless, not her shoulder slam. They left me on alert, like something was going to attack me, and made the hair on my arms rise.

Finally they disappeared, but by then she was gone, into the kitchen or upstairs to stalk Sasuke. And I had the perfect retaliation too that involved the fact that I lived here, she had big feet, and an even bigger mouth.

Hinata asked if I was okay and I just nodded, not sure if I was ready for words just yet. My heart still pounded in both anticipation and adrenaline. What was I in anticipation of? Maybe pulling her hair out or stomping on her foot again.

I felt like my mind was in a fog as I walked with Hinata towards the main building. We separated when we walked into the foyer, Hinata going off towards the left and me towards the right.

The classroom was slowly filling up as I walked in, my eyes scanning for a spot to sit in. Naruto sat on one side of the room, his blond head resting against the table, but his voice still reaching my ears. Only Naruto had the ability to talk nonstop, no matter what state he was in.

I chose near enough so he wouldn't get offended, but far enough away so that if Sasuke decided to appear out of no where, I wouldn't have to worry about being too close.

And abra-kadabra, there he was. Coming down the isle like a king with everyone's eyes on him…including mine.

I focused on my bag and pulled out my materials. No need to stare, even if he is looking extra wonderful today with his long sleeved shirt with a little hole just below the collar, and jeans that hung on his hips perfectly.

Great, even when I'm not looking at him I'm still thinking about him. How pathetic am I? Before I'd met him I'd never been so obsessed with a guy, ever! And now I'm a drooling puddle of mush whenever he's in the room.

The teacher told the class to quiet down suddenly. I welcomed the distraction, and swore to myself that I wouldn't think of Mr. Emotionless on my right.

The teacher started out strong, his words catching the attention of the class, but then some people started to drift off into dreamland. And then more people, just like at my old university. His lectures were more informational though, considering this was a top notch university. And he at least attempted with joke, in his booming voice.

My mind wandered as he got deeper into his lecture, the passion clear in his words. It's not that I disrespected people's passion for intelligence, I relished in my own intelligence and its ability to help me when I most needed it. I wasn't usually this lazy either, I usually listened in class and took notes. But today I could care less.

Who would care about a teacher's lecture when they just found out that they were reincarnated with abilities that could probably uplift whole ponds, or at least move them? Not many I bet.

"—And the vertebra has been an important need for humans for thousands of years. . ."

Yes, wonderful. Let's mention the history of a thousand years ago. I wonder if any of the Historical Classes mentioned the war between the Satanists and Angels. For a second I seriously thought it might be possible, till I realized that it was probably named off as an Ancient Civilization war like all the other wars of that time period.

Had the wars between the Ancient Civilizations really been between them, or had they been between Satanists and Angels? Before I could go more in depth I stopped myself. It didn't matter, the information was irrelevant.

"—dehydration had occurred to many of them along with other diseases. . ."

I sighed. Today was not a good day indeed. I wonder when he was going to start mentioning Heaven and Hell.

"—many blamed these diseases on the demons from Hell and often turned to religion, praying to the saints and Heaven, to make the diseases leave those that they had come over. . ."

I fought the urge to laugh ironically. Instead I shook my head and tried to focus my mind on what the teacher was saying. He was talking about the diseases that had turned into epidemics in the past. I stared at him, forcing myself not to get lost or bored or distracted.

I glanced around the room uninterestingly, failing to pay attention to the teacher like I had told myself to. Sasuke was to my right, one row up from my row. I didn't have to turn my head that much to see him and I was glad he was too busy whispering to Naruto to notice my staring.

_Probably telling him to shut up._ I snorted at the thought, earning some weird looks from those sitting around me. A blush rose up my neck in embarrassment as I quickly looked down at my notebook and pretended to write something.

I tried to pay attention to the teacher, but Sasuke kept appearing in the corner of my eye. Irritated, I shifted in my seat till he disappeared from my sight.

_Take that! _A smug smile came to my face. He may be hot, and totally heart stopping, and that voice, melody to my ears, even if the words were a little less than nice. Okay, way less. But if I just blocked out what he was saying then it wasn't that bad. He also may be what every girl wants, including me at times, but I didn't have to deal with him if I couldn't see him.

Darn it! I can't believe I'd broken the vow to not think of him. Where had all my willpower gone? Apparently out the window along with my restraint.

I sighed quietly, making sure to not drawn attention like last time. I cleared my mind, focusing on only the teacher again. If I just focused on the teacher, then I wouldn't have to think about he who shall not be named.

The smug smile worked its way onto my face as I stared at the teacher. I took some notes and actually understood it until I glanced around again, boredom seeping back into me. I made sure this time I skipped over the section where he who shall not be named was sitting, okay I just didn't look to that side at all.

I looked back up at the teacher, but his desk caught my attention. Well it was more like his water pitcher that caught my attention. It was at this sighting that I felt the parched thirst in my throat. Now that I had noticed it, it got stronger, and made my mouth feel like sandpaper.

I could imagine the cool wet liquid running down my throat, quenching my thirst. The feel of it as it passed my lips and wet the inside of my mouth, my tongue moving it around my mouth and easing the dryness of my mouth.

A tingle ran down my back, but I barely noticed it, the water in the pitcher captivating me. I licked my lips. A thought came to my mind and I had to clench the edge of my seat to keep myself seated. I imagined myself leaping out of the chair and over the ones in my row till I got to the isle. I would run down the isle till I got to the desk and grab the pitcher. The weight of the pitcher would bring relief to me, but not as much as I would feel as I took a big gulp the ice cool water.

Someone dropped something in one of the back rows and I jumped. My eyes burned from staring so long as I blinked and I dropped my head into my palm. I was acting like a barbarian, for water. For water! Out of all the things. . .

Just as I was about to fall back into another daydream I heard Sasuke speak, his voice ringing in my mind and my ears. I stared at him as the teacher smiled, glad that someone in the room was paying attention, or at least smart enough to get the answer right.

I stared at him some more. I guess I could just take a little break from my vow for a couple seconds. It couldn't hurt anyone right?

His muscles bunched as he bent down to retrieve a pencil from the ground, one that Naruto had flicked off his desk on purpose to piss him off. He sat back up and glared at Naruto, pointing the pencil straight at Naruto as if he was going to plunge it into him. Sensing the murderous intent he leaned back, almost falling out of his chair, and smiled innocently at him.

Sasuke smirked and turned back to the teacher. I wondered if he was actually listening to him, or if he was off in his own world like I was, and almost everyone else.

This was the guy that had thousands of years ago died to save me. That was a lot to risk for someone. Did that mean he had been a good friend of mine, or more? I felt my face heat up at that thought. The dreams were enough to prove I was right, definitely more. Way, waaaaaay more.

I tried to imagine everything that could have gone on between us. Had we been old enough to marry? Or were we just young lovers whose love had been put on halt because of the war?

It was hard to think about, when he was so different now. I knew that I didn't know much about what he had been like, but from what my dreams had shown, he had been nicer. So much nicer that I wondered why he was mean now. Mean and rude and horrible and arrogant and just over the top _different_.

Suddenly it happened so fast, one minute he was staring at the teacher, the next his eyes had snapped to me. I stared at him, not caring what he thought. Let him think I was obsessed. He had saved my life. He had kissed me. He had died for me. I didn't care what he thought. We had history, even if neither of us remembered it. It felt weird, like a bond between us, but I doubt he felt it, and I sure as hell wasn't going to mention it to him.

His eyes turned into a glare, directed straight at me. I turned back to the teacher. Yup, definitely didn't feel the bond. I could still feel the glare burning through the side of my head. Geez, what was his problem? Half of the class was staring at him I bet, being half of the class was girls. So he decides to glare at me? Not fair.

I twisted to the side again to give him a glare back. We glared at each other till I got sick of it and turned back towards the teacher. If I had been in smacking distance, his face would have an ugly red mark by now.

A big, red, stinging mark. That he deserved.

Great, now my mood was sour. Thank you Sasuke Dickwad.

But it was somewhat my fault. If I had just stuck to my stupid vow, then I wouldn't be so gosh darn anger and murderous, both of which I wanted to unleash on Mr. Dickwad to my right.

I glared at the water pitcher, my eyes refusing to move anywhere else. I imagined taking the pitcher and throwing it to the floor, the glass breaking into a million pieces. I could see the water splashing against my legs and feet as its container was destroyed.

Maybe I had anger management issues now. I stopped and dropped my eyes to my desk, ashamed at letting him get me so angry. It wasn't worth it. I looked back up at the pitcher, giving it a silent apology.

The front row let out a screech as the pitcher shattered into a million pieces, the water flying everywhere. Some of it hit the front center row while some hit the teacher. Water slid off the desk and onto the floor, the dripping noise echoing through the now silent lecture room.

Everyone, even those that had been asleep, stared in curiosity at the front of the room. Some whispered as to what happened while others laughed as the teacher rushed to save his papers. The front center row started to clear out to get away from the water, and to get dry. People were standing up to see the scene fold out better.

I sat there gaping. A second later the clock started to chime, announcing the class was over.

Students rushed out of the lecture room, talking about what had just happened and going off to tell others. I could just imagine all the rumors that would be going around by dinnertime. One person would say that the pitcher had fallen off the desk and slammed into the floor. Another would say the teacher had gotten mad and slammed the pitcher so hard against the desk it had shattered into pieces.

Had I done that? Or had it just been some freaky accident? Even though I wanted to say that it had been some freaky accident, I didn't believe it one bit.

A tingle ran down my back and I almost screamed out. That one tingle, which erupted into stronger ones, told me immediately that it had been me. Great, not I was shattering glass pitchers in class. I would have to go see Auntie Tsunade as soon as I could.

I stood on shaky legs, the tingles making me stop and hold onto the desk for a second. Once I had regained my senses I gathered my stuff quickly while looking around, a guilty feeling forming in the pit of my stomach, right next to the nervous feeling.

I froze as Sasuke started down his row, staring right at me. My hands shook as I shoved my textbook into my bag, reaching for my notebook. For some reason I sensed him still, why wasn't he gone like everyone else? I glanced back up and felt my heart stop.

Sasuke was walking down my row, coming for me. I didn't want to look like a guilty, cornered rabbit or something but I couldn't help it. The tingles got stronger as he got closer and I gasped in breathes as I gathered the rest of my stuff in my arms and started down towards the opposite isle. One of my pencils fell from my hands. Screw it, I was getting out of here.

The teacher was heading up the isle Sasuke had just walked down to probably look for a janitor to clean up the water. Seeing him heading for the door made me speed up till I managed to get past him and out of the door before Sasuke could get to me.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, excuse me. . ." I tried to get through the hallway. I didn't look back to see if Sasuke was following me. As I turned the corner I slowed, looking down the hallway. Sighing in relief at the Sasuke-less hallway, I slowed down my pace.

An unpleasant spasm went down my spine, almost making me drop my things in the middle of the hallway. Gratefully the crowd in the hallway was thinning as the next classes started. I was oh so very glad I didn't have anymore classes today.

The spasms got worse and I turned another hallway, trying to figure out what to do. I didn't think I could make it to my room, all the way across the quad. I stopped and turned around, having just passed a bathroom.

Shifting some of my things around in my arms I managed to get the door handle turned enough to open the door. Using my shoulder I pushed the door open and stumbled into the bathroom, my body shaking.

When I was sure no one else was in the bathroom I dropped my books on the floor near the door and locked the door before I approached the sinks. The mirror reflected back my ghastly face, the color all but drained from my face.

"You look like shit," I told my reflection. The spasms of tingles continued in my back, threatening to bring me to my knees at their intensity.

I turned on the cold water, cupping it in my hands and bringing it to my face. Maybe the sharp coldness would bring me back to myself, and out of this horrible hell. I tried to tell myself that it would stop soon, it had to.

"Let it go, let the power free. . ." I told myself, trying to just let it go and make the spasms stop, the painful horrible spasms.

I left the sink running, not really caring that it was wasting water, and crouched down and rested my weight on my heels. My fingers tingled from my tight grip on the cold bathroom sink. I wiggled them, trying to get feeling back into them.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it," I chanted, my fingers clenching hard on the sink again as another spasm of tingles ran down my back. I wanted to claw at my back. It wasn't that it hurt, okay maybe a little bit, but it felt like there was something under my skin, irritating, different, and trying to break free. The tingles didn't just rack my spine or my back, they went in spasms down my back and through the rest of my body, leaving me breathless and scared.

I should have been happy that they weren't spasms of pain, which would have been far worse. But this feeling was so different, it was like I had a chill but inside my skin, inside me.

Another spasm ran through me and I clenched my teeth. I heard a crackling noise but I ignored it, my teeth clenching tighter.

Cool water droplets splashed on my fingers, sending instant goosebumps down my arms and back. The hair on my arms stood up as I dropped to my ass, the cold tile seeping through my jeans.

Ripple after ripple ran through me, wanting to erupt outwards of me. And suddenly I was angry.

Angry at this horrible feeling, angry at my state of helplessness, and angry as to why it just wouldn't stop, this reoccurring horror.

I slammed my fists against the floor, ignoring the pain that bloomed in my hands. I rose to my feet and suddenly I was cupping water and throwing it everywhere in anger. No more mister nice girl.

I faintly shattering, but I ignored it and continued to throw the water around. Maybe I had anger management issues, but at this point throwing the water was a great way to release my anger.

My chest heaved as I slowly stopped and leaned against the sink. I looked pissed off, my green eyes glowing eerily and my lips curled back to show my teeth. I looked like a beast, ready to break out of my cage.

And just like that, I was back to normal. It was like someone had just snapped their fingers and I was suddenly not angry anymore. But as the anger went away, my guilt came back. The guilt of breaking the pitcher, of running from Sasuke, and of creating a mess in the bathroom, all of which were unnecessary.

I reached over and grabbed a handful of paper towels, ready to clean up the mess I had created. And after I was done cleaning up, I seriously needed to have a talk with Auntie. A very long talk.

The reflection of the mirror caught my attention for a split second, but that's all I needed for the cold dread to come rushing back to the surface.

Tendrils of ice lined the wall behind her, its surface cracked and chunks on the floor from where it'd broken off and fallen to the floor. I spun around, my fists clenching as I glared at the ice. Why couldn't it just stop? Why couldn't I just live a normal life without all this freakiness going on?

I tried to calm down, but my heart felt like it was going to have a heart attack. And I just couldn't get enough breath in my lungs.

The door creaked open and everything slowed down to slow motion. I could hear my heart thudding as I looked up at the door. I was done for, whoever walked through that door would run out as fast as they'd come in and tell everyone.

"Well…this proves to be a problem yes?" I stared at him, my breath frozen in my lungs. He looked just like…

"Sasuke?" It slipped out before I could close my gaping mouth. The man ignored me as he closed the bathroom door behind him and stepped further into the bathroom. His eyes stayed focused on the ice as he raised a hand to touch it.

I kept my mouth shut as he continued to look at the ice. But I couldn't stop the sound that came out when the ice started to slide down the wall as it melted. The man kept his hand firmly on the wall until all the ice was melted, big puddles forming in its place.

"Excuse me for my rudeness," he turned to me, his red eyes focused solely on me now. "I'm Uchiha Itachi."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This is my other Christmas present to everyone, so I hope you all enjoy it! Merry Christmas/Feliz Navidad and I hope you all eat a lot of good food and enjoy time with your friends and family.

Once again, I'm sorry I've posted nada on Sangreal in the last couple of weeks, but hopefully I can get some things written up and saved in case I go off M.I.A. again. Theres another problem too...I've started another story! I couldn't help it, the idea was just too good and I suddenly found myself writing and I couldn't stop. But I'm not going to post it until I finish it, or am close to finishing it because I honestly don't know if it'll get off the ground or if it'll go to the scrap pile. And no, I'm not going to say what it is or what it's about because then people will get their hopes up and then I'll be cornered into writing another story.

No promises on the next update [sorry guys!] because I posted this way before chapter 8 is done. I'm not even sure how long it's going to take me, but I'll try and get working on it.

So here's my little secret, thought I'd forget didn't you! Okay, so whoever looked at my profile knows I have a LiveJournal, but what they don't know is that I've been putting little scenes from my stories on there! If you want to see what might be coming up next, or just read a little cutout from one of the future chapters, then head on over there. I made it so non-members of LJ can see the exerps but if it's not working then message me and I'll fix it!


	8. Eight

There is a huge dilemma! I was looking through my chapters, trying to remember something as I wrote out the chapter, and I found so many mistakes, which is too many for me. So I am currently looking for a beta-reader. Not really sure what I'm going to do yet, but if you'd like to beta read for me then tell me and I'll look into your stories and check your grammar and writing skills.

Other than that, I have a secret which I will once again reveal at the bottom. I mentioned it in chapter 7 so some of you might know what it is ^_^.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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"Where the fuck could she have gone?" Sasuke asked himself angrily. Naruto jogged to keep up with him, his blue eyes scanning the crowds of people in the hall for pink hair.

His eyes flickered over to Sasuke. Never before had he seen Sasuke get so frustrated with something. Especially when it was a girl.

He snorted. Sakura wasn't just a _girl_. She wasn't afraid to insult his best friend, especially in front of people. And she wasn't afraid to call him out for the bastard he was.

And just that alone had Naruto rooting for her, all his money was on her. If only they could find her.

Class had ended with a bang, literally. The water pitcher in the front of the room had exploded, and although everyone had said it had fallen, Sasuke and Naruto knew better.

"Calm down, she couldn't have gotten that far," Naruto told Sasuke as they rounded the corner. "You check the entrance incase she tries to go out that way, and I'll keep checking the halls."

Sasuke headed towards the entrance without a word, leaving Naruto to stare after him. Maybe the ice cube was finally melting, either that or he was taking his job way too seriously.

The main stairs were just as crowded as the hallways, making it hard for Sasuke to get down them quickly. And the sudden mob of girls that came out of no where didn't help. He weaved in and out of people's way, his eyes searching for a head of pink hair. Where the hell was she?

After the glass pitcher had erupted into a spew of little glass shards, Sasuke had immediately known that Sakura had taken part in it somehow. Not that he blamed her or anything, he knew how hard it was in the beginning.

This was all Tsunade's fault. If she had kept better eye on Sakura and told her how to handle it, then Sakura wouldn't be hiding somewhere and probably shaking with fear.

A need to protect her suddenly hit him head on. It was like a sudden rain shower in the middle of a sunny day. Unexpected and unwanted.

Sasuke quickly stamped the feeling out. Feelings were dangerous, they made people do crazy things that involved no thought and no reasoning, and they especially made people weak because once someone knew someone else's feelings, they had an advantage to use against them. And Sasuke refused to give his opponent that kind of upper hand.

Something caught his eye then, a flash of pink. He looked in that direction, the sun blinding his eyes for a moment before they adjusted.

There she stood, facing a sleek black car that looked familiar. Sasuke raced towards the front door and tore it open, launching himself out into the fresh air.

The car door closed behind her and slowly pulled away from the curb. Just before Sasuke reached it, Sakura's eyes flickered towards his, widening in surprise. And then the car was gaining speed and turning the corner, leaving Sasuke behind in front of the main building.

Sasuke's chest heaved in anger and shock, his mind finally registering who the car belonged to.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ochto.

8.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Once I got a good look at Uchiha Itachi, which wasn't very easy considering he always seemed to sense when I was looking at him, I realized that I must have been blind for thinking he was Sasuke.

He looked nothing like Sasuke. Nothing, but the familiar shape of the face and calculating look gave away that they were brothers. Itachi had longer hair, and darker skin, while Sasuke had shorter hair and lighter skin. Even the black shades of their hair were different.

I faintly wondered if he had as many fangirls as Sasuke. He certainly did get the good looking genes like Sasuke that was for sure.

The car stopped in front of Auntie's building and a second later the door was opened for me. I didn't realize it was raining until I was out of the car, rain pattering against the umbrella over my head.

I looked over to Itachi who looked out of place holding an umbrella. If there was one trait that was most different between the Uchiha brothers, it was their manners.

_That's for sure._ I thought sarcastically as Itachi gave me a warm smile. My heart fluttered unexpectedly, and I could hear wedding music in my head. But then the thought of having Sasuke as a brother-in-law turned the music into horror music. I could imagine the holidays, oh dear lord, with the presents of black coal for Christmas, glaring at New Years Eve, and smashing eggs in each other's faces on Easter.

I stopped myself from smiling. For some reason these things sounded appealing, but I couldn't understand why. It's not like I enjoyed getting eggs smashed in my face, but oddly enough, with Sasuke it had a nice sound to it.

_Okay stop it. _I scolded myself as we walked into the brick building and up the stairs. He didn't stop to knock on Auntie's door, but instead barged right in, setting the wet umbrella against the wall and ignoring the puddle that started to form.

"Does anyone knock anymore?" Auntie growled, her head lowered as she wrote furiously on a sheet of paper. Her eyes flickered upward for a millisecond before she was back to writing, her hand flying across the sheet. "What Itachi?"

"I believe you have not completely explained to Sakura the extent of her powers," he told her as he moved to the side, giving me space to enter the room. Auntie's hand stilled as she realized Itachi wasn't alone.

"What happened?" Auntie Tsunade asked, her previous work forgotten as she stood up and rounded the desk. "Are you okay Sakura?"

"I'm fine, but what is he talking about? What haven't you completely explained?" I asked, my eyes following Itachi as he sat down on the couch. A bad feeling started to form in the pit of my stomach, afraid of what I'd hear.

"What happened?" Auntie ignored my question, her eyes looking at Itachi.

"It seems that she is an early bloomer," he said as his eyebrows scrunching slightly as he looked at me. "Although I don't know how you didn't already know that considering her markings are already forming."

"I did know she was an early bloomer," she replied. "But I didn't think…I don't know what I was thinking."

"By early bloomer you mean what exactly?" I asked one question out of the million swimming in my head. Did what happen earlier have to do with me being an 'early bloomer'? What did Uchiha Itachi have to do with all this? And what had he done with his hands to the ice that I had created?

"I can practically sense the markings through her clothing," Itachi said, scaring me with his calmness. "And she blasted a water pitcher into pieces without even realizing it. You have to start teaching her or else her powers will get out of control."

"How can you sense my markings when they're covered?" I was starting to get very angry. Not only were they ignoring my questions, but they were talking about me as if I wasn't in the room.

"They weren't supposed to be that powerful yet. Most elementalists feel a connection to the element first, but the ability to control the element comes after training, or not at all." Auntie just stared at Itachi as if they were conversing with each other through their eyes.

I wondered if they'd done this before, if they'd had to deal with someone like me before. And it made sense since they were so calm with it, but it would be nice if they could at least answer my questions.

Itachi started to speak, but I cut him off, my voice shaking slightly with anger.

"Could one of you at least answer my questions instead of acting like I'm not standing two feet from you? If not then I'm leaving." I didn't realize my voice had risen in anger until I saw the look of shock on Auntie's face. "What? I just want an answer to everything that is happening."

It wasn't until I looked at Auntie's eyes that I realized that she wasn't looking at me, but behind me. I feeling of dread bubbled in my stomach as I slowly turned around, not sure of what I would find.

The sight outside of the large window was blurred. I faintly remembered being in a swimming pool once and looking up, the sky blurry and moving back and forth. Just like now, just like the image through the window.

Auntie quietly walked over to the window, her fingers reaching out to touch a crack that marred the otherwise smooth surface. She traced it across the clear surface, her fingers turning white as she pressed down on it.

The crack lengthened at her pressure, making me yell out a "stop."

"That explains a lot of things," Auntie said with a quiet voice, her eyes still attached to the crack.

The door suddenly opened quickly. Auntie moved silently away from the window, trying to not draw attention to it. Itachi was to his feet and at my side before I could blink, his shoulder blocking half of my body from the doorway.

"It's me," Sasuke said as he came into the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet click.

Itachi moved back towards the couch, a smirk coming to his face. Auntie also moved, but I noticed that once blurry view through the window was now clear again.

"I know you want answers, and I'll answer them tomorrow," Auntie murmured as she sat back down at her desk. "Sasuke, please escort Sakura back to wherever she was heading."

"Wait! Why can't you answer them now?" I asked as I shrugged off Sasuke's hand on my arm. "I don't need an escort—"

I glared at Sasuke as he took my arm with a tighter grip and dragged me out of the room. He ignored what I said and guided me down the staircase and out onto the sidewalk.

"What happened?" I rolled my eyes, always straight to the point.

"Nothing happened Sasuke, Auntie just wanted to talk to me," I answered. I wasn't sure what I was allowed to tell him, and what I wasn't.

"I know about your abilities Sakura, I've known for a while," he said as his eyes found mine. The sunlight reflected in them, making them sparkle.

I let out a breathy laugh, like what he'd just said was a joke. But when I looked at him, his eyes were serious and his mouth was tilted down in a frown.

"I-I…uhh…what?" My face heated up as I struggled for words, the joking façade gone. If he knew about that, what else did he know about? Did he know about my dreams, about what he had done thousands of years ago? About the kissing, the sacrifice, and the war that had taken place thousands of years ago?

"Tsunade told me so that I should keep an eye out incase anything happened," he said, surprising me. Why would Auntie tell him, without letting me know that he knew? That was really unfair.

We turned the corner and found ourselves on our street. As we entered the building and ascended the stairs I didn't say a word. There wasn't a single word I could pinpoint in my head, they were all buzzing together like flies on food.

Sasuke stopped at his door, unlocking it and opening it. I went to walk past him, but he stepped in my way, gesturing with his hand towards his room. What else could he possibly what? He'd already rendered me speechless, what more could he do?

I stood near his desk as he closed the door. The room was just like I'd seen it last time, only this time Naruto's bed was unmade and half the pillows were at the foot of the bed. The silence was like torture as Sasuke walked into his closet and came back without shoes on.

"I'm an elementalist too." I did a double take, wondering if I had heard right. He remained calm and relax, both making me wonder if I had just imagined it.

"I'm sorry," I paused. "Did you just say you're an elementalist too?"

"Yes, I'm an elementalist," he said, his eyes finding mine. Without realizing it, I sat down on his bed and continued to stare at him. All this time he'd been like me, all that wondering if he was like in my dreams or if he wasn't, and all this time thinking he didn't care, when in fact he completely understood.

"What element?" He pulled out a lighter from his pocket, flicking the lid up and creating a small flame. I screeched when he stuck his finger in the flame, his face lighting up slightly with a happiness that I had never seen from him before.

"It won't burn me," he murmured, pulling his finger out of the flame. The flame clung to his finger like it would a match, and Sasuke stared at it as it got bigger. It detached from his finger, the size of a golf ball, and floated towards me.

"Will it burn me?" I asked as it hovered in front of my face. My eyes stayed on it as the heat warmed my face. It felt like I was sitting in front of a fireplace, all warm and cozy and completely happy.

I suddenly understood the happiness that Sasuke was feeling. I smiled and reached up a hand, running my fingers over the ball of fire. It was warm and smooth, the flames licking my fingers slightly and giving me small zaps of warmth up my fingers.

"It won't burn you unless I tell it too," he said as he extinguished the round flame. His eyes stayed with mine as the happiness evaporated, leaving a coldness and sense of loss in my fingers.

Seeing the happiness in his eyes disappear made me feel empty, like I was missing out on something. I hoped that someday I'd feel that happiness when using my powers, instead of the fear that I felt now whenever they appeared.

"What is it like?" I asked him as my eyes flickered up to his. "What does it feel like when you use your powers?"

"It's like nothing I've ever felt before. I feel whole and complete." Sasuke's eye took on a distant gleam, like he was somewhere else other than in the room. "I think of home…of support, of my parents, of you."

Startled, I felt my face heat up. He thought of me? No…he thought of what I was in my other life.

Sasuke must have seen the sadness in my eyes because he said, "Not that you. I didn't know her, I only knew her from my memories and dreams. I meant the you that is here _now_. The you that is alive and breathing and annoying as hell."

I glared up at him with a "Hey!"

"You are," Sasuke told me with a smirk, his obsidian eyes roaming all over my face.

I looked at the floor, still feeling his eyes looking at me. I wasn't sure what he was looking at, it's not like I had any important feature on my face. Unless I had a zit or something in my teeth…

Sasuke let out a low chuckle, my fingers searching my face for a zit and my tongue searching my front teeth for anything that didn't belong there.

Finding nothing, I looked at him. His gaze was really starting to unnerve me, so I decided that it was time to go.

"Well…I'll see you around," I mumbled as I got off the bed and headed for the door.

I could feel his presence behind me as I opened them door, stepping out into the hallway.

Suddenly a thought came to me. "Why wouldn't Tsunade tell me that you knew?" I turned around to face him, startled to find him so close, close enough to see the individual red flecks in his eyes. Too close for my liking.

"She has her reasons," he answered before closing the door, leaving me standing there in the hallway alone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ready to go Sakura?" Auntie asked me as I came out of the weapons room with a wooden katana.

She didn't wait for me to answer, instead rushing at me.

"Sometimes you don't get a warm up," she said as she swung for my head, her foot coming out and trying to hook around my ankle and trip me. "Sometimes you don't get a warning."

I ducked under the katana, kicking her other foot out from under her before she could trip me. She rolled out of the way as I swung for her shoulder, hitting the floor.

"Your enemy won't give you a heads up when they go for your neck," Auntie told me as she rolled onto her feet, her katana poised and ready.

I crouched, waiting for her to charge at me. She had always praised me for my patience, for my insight on the fight and my ability to draw out the weakness in my opponent.

Auntie hesitated for a moment before charging. She went for my stomach, forcing me to the side to avoid it.

I hit her wrist, the shock making her drop her katana. I kicked the katana away with enough force to send it across the room.

"You don't need a weapon to win the fight…" Auntie trailed off as she hooked her foot around my knee and pulled. I heard my katana slide away from me, but I was on my feet again in seconds.

Auntie was on her feet and charging at me before I could blink. I ducked before she could hit me with her hand, my own shoving her backward, causing her to stumble.

I came at her, my fist swinging for her head, but she grabbed my fist and flung me over her shoulder.

The ground slammed into my shoulder as I rolled on the ground, using the momentum to propel me to my feet. Auntie stood in front of me, her katana poised at my neck.

She stared at me, her breathing labored, mirroring my own.

"But weapons definitely help," she finished, but I wasn't.

I rolled backwards, my foot connecting with her hand that was holding the katana. I caught it as it flew into the air, flying at Auntie.

She ducked, expecting me to aim for her head, but I jumped over her crouched form. Knowing she wouldn't have time to turn around, I kicked her in the back.

"Especially when your enemy doesn't have one," I told her as she rolled onto her back, her own katana millimeters from her neck.

Instead of looking disappointed—she never was happy losing a fight—she smiled.

"Good point," she huffed as I helped her up. "Now, onto the good stuff."

"Good stuff?" I repeated, watching as she disappeared into the weapons room and came back out a minute later.

"Your powers," she answered, sitting down on the floor and patting the spot in front of her.

"I wouldn't exactly call that good stuff…" I hesitated before sitting down. I wanted to learn how to control them, but every time my powers came out something bad happened.

"I haven't been a very good teacher lately," Auntie started but paused, her eyes finding mine and reflecting her guilt. "And I'm sorry. I should have explained everything in the beginning. I just hoped that…"

"Hoped that what?" I asked, not sure if I wanted the answer or not, but needing to know.

"That…that it wouldn't be like before. That you wouldn't have to deal with so much so soon." Auntie sighed.

But I was still confused. Deal with so much? I wasn't dealing with anything other than school. And my powers weren't that bad, were they? I admit that I overreacted, and was being a big scaredy cat, but still…

"This is how it started last time," she told me, crossing her legs like she was about to go into meditation. "You advanced faster than anyone thought you would, and then things went downhill. People saw your progress and expected so much from you. I don't want that to happen again, for so much weight to be put on your shoulders."

"Downhill…you mean the war?"

"Yes, exactly that. I'm just afraid that things will repeat themselves…that you'll…" she trailed off, but I didn't need her to say it out loud.

_Die,_ I finished for her in my mind. I frowned. So far that I knew, no one was trying to kill me. Plus Auntie was here, and Sasuke and his brother and…

"Is there anyone else like…_us_?" I emphasized the word us, pointing between her and myself.

"No," Auntie said quickly before repeating it slower, as if she were trying to convince herself that that was the truth. I almost questioned her about it, but why would she lie to me? She was my Aunt, my teacher, and my friend, not a liar.

"Now, let's get started shall we?" she asked as she closed her eyes. "I want you to empty your mind and just breathe."

I followed her instructions, emptying my mind and focused on my breathing. I waited for her to give me more instructions, but we just sat there and breathed.

"To use your powers you have to be completely at ease with them, and with yourself." I cracked open an eye and looked at her. "Eyes closed."

I huffed and closed my eyes, emptying my mind again and evening out my breathing.

"Now, I want you to find that part of you that is scared, scaring of using your powers and of what they might do, and make it disappear," she told me, her voice calm and soothing.

I tried to do what she said, but I didn't even know where to start. All I saw was blackness and all that I heard was silence.

"I can't," I admitted with a sigh, my shoulders dropping in defeat.

"Well, try again," Auntie commanded, her hands appearing on my tense shoulders. "Just relax and find the fear."

I did was she said, my shoulder muscles unclenching.

I thought back to the first time, when this had all started. I remembered the surprise and realization that it wasn't a dream, but reality. I remembered the shock when I'd touched the ice, and the horror at the fact that I'd killed someone. Mostly I remembered the fear.

Fear of this new occurrence, fear of the fact that this was reality, and fear at the unknown this had presented.

But not fear of the power itself.

I felt something in me form, a mix of freeness and excitement.

Then the incident on the plane came to my mind. There too I didn't feel any fear towards the power itself, but towards the sudden appearance of it and the unknown it presented.

That feeling of freeness and excitement grew, threatening to break free through and spread.

The bathroom hadn't been that bad either, I mean, I'd come out without scratches or even harmed. Just a little freaked out.

I opened my eyes, my body shaking with so many feelings, none of which were fear.

Auntie seemed to sense because she took her hands off my shoulders and sat back down in front of me.

"I'm going to explain to you how to access your powers, but we'll work more on it tomorrow," Auntie told me, closing her eyes again. "I want you to imagine yourself in the meadow, I know you know which one I am talking about, and see the pond in front of you. Really _see_ it."

I didn't stop to question how she knew _that _meadow, but instead followed her instructions. It wasn't difficult, I'd see the meadow so many times that I could perfectly imagine it. I could feel the grass under me, tickling my legs. I could feel the rays of sunlight warming my skin and wrapping my in a cocoon of light.

The pond sparkled in front of me, the blue surface reflecting the clouds and the sky above me.

Auntie's voice echoed around me as she said, "I want you to imagine the surface of the water rippling. Imagine a small sphere of water rising up out of the rippling surface. Imagine that it stops right in front of you."

I could see little specks of light glinting off the rippling surface of the pond. A small lump of water started to rise off the surface, growing larger as it rose. It continued to rise until it broke off the surface and drifted higher, coming towards me as it did.

It slowed down and stopped right in front of my face. The sunlight caught it, making the outside look like marble as the inside swirled and continued to ripple in sync with the pond.

"Now, imagine it suddenly dropping and splashing onto your lap. The water is ice cold…"

My eyes opened as I jumped up, stumbling backwards as my skin broken out in goose bumps.

Auntie started to laugh, getting to her feet.

I looked down, finding my clothes completely dry. Placing my hand on the spot that had been drenched, I found that it wasn't cold or even damp, but instead slightly warm from my body heat.

"That was just a little test," Auntie said as she continued to laugh, completely ignoring my glare. "I just wanted to make sure…oh nevermind."

"Thank you for that," I told her sarcastically, walking over and putting my shoes on. "Because I wasn't awake enough before, now I'm sure I am."

"You're welcome," she replied, coming over and putting her shoes on too. We walked out of the gym. "Same time tomorrow, okay?"

I just nodded, watching as she headed in the opposite direction that I was heading.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The next day I decided to go to the gym early and practice on my own. My victory yesterday proved that all the hard work was paying off, but it also showed that I still had a ways to go.

I jogged to the martial arts gym, breathing hard by the time it came into view.

Inside was the same as yesterday, and I was glad to find no one there. Once again I wondered who came here, especially when there were so many buildings on the campus to pick from.

I quickly grabbed my wooden katana and eased into my routine warm up. Once done, I started fighting invisible enemies. No matter how many times I fought them, they always came back. They just couldn't get enough of me, even though I kicked their butts each time.

Suddenly I felt someone coming at me from behind. I ducked, twisting around and hitting the person in the stomach with a loud smack.

My eyes flickered up, catching spiky, black hair, before I was on my back. I rolled back onto my feet, my katana raising as it met another.

"What are you doing?" I asked Sasuke as I dropped to a knee, his pressure on my katana heavier than my own.

"Fighting you," he responded, pressing more weight on our connected katanas. I winced and moved to the side, letting go of my katana, making our katanas hit the ground with a loud smack.

Before he could react, I stepped on his hand. With a grunt he let go, his other hand wrapping around my wrist as I aimed to hit him in the head. I raised my foot and kicked him in the chest, off balancing him.

"Dammit," I accidently swore as I realized too late that he was still holding onto my wrist. We crashed to the ground, me on top, as I struggled to free my wrist.

Sasuke grunted again as I pinned his hand under my knee, placing all my weight on it so that he couldn't release it.

"Surrender," I told him, freeing my wrist and pinning my other knee on his lower arm. "You lost."

"Have I?" I shrieked as he overpowered my hold on his arms, pushing me so that I was under him.

We struggled, him trying to grab my hands and my hands trying to shove him off me.

"Stop moving," he commanded, grabbing my wrist, but swearing when I scratched him on the cheek. I smirked in triumph. Take that Sasuke and his perfect, glorious complexion.

"No!" I used his moment of shock to push him onto his back, my knees resting on his shoulders and pinning his upper body to the floor.

"Did you just scratch me?" he asked while he glared at me.

"Yes I did," I told him, leaning forward as he tried to sit up.

"Fine, I can play dirty too." I didn't have to think of what he could possibly mean because the next thing I knew he was pulling on the back of my shirt.

I leaned forward, trying not to let his strength overpower me. No, not again, once was enough. Reaching behind me, I tried to dislodge his hands from my shirt, but he clung on like it was a lifeline.

An unknown and burning heat made me freeze. That's all he needed though, making me realize too late that I'd made a mistake by letting myself be taken by surprise.

"You asshole, you just burned a hole into my shirt," I yelled at him, the ceiling and floor spinning as Sasuke spun and turned me, forcing me onto my stomach with my hands pinned under his knees.

He didn't respond. I waited for the gloating tone, for the salt to rub in my defeated wounds, but neither came. Only silence, long and deafening silence.

I felt his fingers tracing the burned hole in the back of my shirt, and I jerked as they touched my skin.

"Just because you won doesn't mean you're getting a prize," I told him, struggling to get my arms free. What the heck was he doing? He had clearly won, so now it was time for him to get off.

Sasuke's fingers—his oh-so-warm and calloused fingers—traced something from my shoulder, over my sports bra, and down my spine, making me shiver. I tried to ignore the warmth they left in their wake, and the goose bumps that were suddenly covering my skin.

"Get of—" I was cut off as I felt Sasuke's hands grip both sides of the hole and pull, ripping the shirt. I felt a breeze on my back as the two ripped sides fell apart, revealing my back to Sasuke's eyes.

"You said you didn't have a tattoo," he said, his voice low and scratchy.

"I don't…they're my markings," I admitted, a blush spreading across my face as his fingers started tracing what I now realized was my tattoo. "Can you get off now?"

"Yes Sasuke, please get off her," a voice came from side, the voice airy, like they'd just finished laughing.

Sasuke growled and was off me before I could register that there was someone else in the room. I was hoisted to my feet, Sasuke's shoulder hiding my view of the person at the door, and his arm holding me firmly behind him.

My shirt started to slide down my arms, making me blush as I crossed my arms. This was all Sasuke's fault, but I'd deal with him later. And why the heck was he shielding me? Last I'd known, I was a big girl and I could handle myself.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke's voice was filled with anger, but nothing like the anger I felt towards him. It was like an anger that boiled under the surface for a long time, just waiting to break free.

"I came by to make sure Sakura wasn't being killed by you," the voice paused as if drawing out the punch line. "But clearly you had something else in mind, not that I blame you."

"You bastard," Sasuke roared as he started towards the person, giving me a chance to see who it was as his arm released me.

"Sasuke," I yelled, rushing forward to stop him. "Don't!"

Itachi stood in front of the door, his eyes finding me once I came into view.

That only made Sasuke madder, making it harder for me to hold onto the back of his shirt as he tried to get to Itachi.

"Hello Sakura. How are you on this lovely day?" he asked me, his eyes roaming my body as my shirt slipped down to my elbows.

"I'm fine…I know this is rude, but could you please leave?" I asked him, ignoring the blush I knew was on me face as his eyes continued to roam.

Itachi laughed. "As you wish," he replied, saluting Sasuke as he walked out the door.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" I shoved him, glaring at him as he turned to me.

"I know," he responded, his eyes flicking to the door and then back to me quickly.

"Give me your shirt," I told him, looking down at his plain grey shirt. "You ripped _and _burned my shirt, when I only scratched you if I remember correctly. The least you can do is give me yours. Don't give me that look, I think you can handle being shirtless around fangirls for a little while."

He glared at me as he took off his shirt, his arm muscles rippling as he handed it to me.

I ignored the glorious sight of the skin that was revealed as I let my now useless shirt drop to the floor and put on his. It smelled slightly of sweat and had a musky smell to it, like ashes mixed with dirt and pine.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his glare replaced with a guilty look.

"It's fine," I reassured him. "I guess I set it up for myself when I scratched you."

Sasuke had a weird look on his face, like he wanted to laugh and kiss me at the same time. It freaked me out, so much so that I did the stupidest thing ever and turned away from him. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be kissed or not by him, but things were too complicated right now, and I was too shaken up.

"So what was that all about?" I asked him as I walked over and picked up our wooden katanas.

He waited until I came out of the weapons room before answering, "He's always trying to mess with me, and it annoys the fucking hell out of me, especially when he tries to hit on what's mine."

My mouth dropped open as he froze. What was his? I'm…his? My anger came back full force, making my face burn like the hottest inferno that had ever existed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. A snowball has a better chance in hell Sasuke than you do," I warned him, watching as his eyes flashed, staring right at me. The look in his eyes held a challenge, a promise to prove that I was wrong.

I wasn't going to let him stake a claim over me though. Who gave him the right to do that when days ago he was a complete asshole to me? No one gave him the right. And I refused to drool all over him like his fangirls just because he decided to go off and be all protective and territorial on me.

Sasuke was just about to say something, but the door opened and Auntie walked in.

"Here already? I hope I'm not late." She stopped and looked between Sasuke and me, her eyes taking in his shirtless form and the shirt that I wore, the grey collar so big that it stretched down past my collarbone.

Great, this looked really bad. Wait, not really bad, it looked horrible—scandalous and guilty.

"He ripped my shirt," I said, pointing at Sasuke and placing all the blame on him. His eyes flashed at me, with a dark promise of revenge and payback. Ha, like that was going to ever happen. "And burned it."

"Did he?" She took in my red face, her eyes holding a knowing gleam to them.

"Yes he did," I told her, holding my ground.

"Well…that's unfortunate. Shall we get started now?" I gaped at her uncaring response, hearing a snort beside me and finding Sasuke amused at my reaction.

I closed my mouth and walked past Sasuke, ignoring him—or at least trying to—and sitting down in front of Auntie.

The door opened and closed behind me, Sasuke's presence gone from the room.

Unwillingly, a shiver ran down my back as I remembered the look in his eyes, the dark promise to prove that I was his when I clearly wasn't. And I already had enough on my plate as it was, I didn't need to add him to it, and his new found determination to make sure that _that _part of our past lives repeated.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Okay! Another chapter is done…I thought it would never be done with. The ending I felt was a little iffy, but after rereading it a while later, I found that I actually kind of liked it. Chapter 9 is halfway done for Sangreal and I think chapter 6 of No Longer Weak is almost done too, hmmm I'll have to check to make sure.

So here's my little **secret**. So whoever looked at my profile knows I have a LiveJournal, but what they don't know is that I've been putting little scenes from my stories on there! If you want to see what might be coming up next, or just read a little cutout from one of the future chapters, then head on over there.


	9. Nine

It's been a while. A very long while that consists of five months and numerous days that were filled with my attempted to proofread this chapter and proofread other things I've written and trying to write other things to get the million ideas out of my head. It's like a plague, all of these ideas. They never leave me alone and instead of fading away, they being bigger and more tempting to write. So, the good of having not updated in a while is that I have a lot of other things written out and can post those. The bad thing is that a lot of readers are probably drumming their fingers on their desks/tables/knees/forearms and questioning where the heck I am.

I am right here! And updating. The end of the world is not in the near future, if anyone was thinking that. So, I guess it's time to be quiet and let everyone go on and read the chapter.

This HAS been proofread, thank gosh for that. Thank you rIn04fer3verh3arti11y for helping me proofread it, I know it'll be a great chapter since you helped! Also sorry for all of the mistakes, but you still caught all of them and fixed them.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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The shirt caught my eye as I walked out of my closet. That _dreaded_ shirt. It constantly caught my eye, my attention once I'd seen it, and was a constant reminder of what had happened.

The memory of Sasuke's sudden possessiveness came to my mind, the memory sour and thrilling at the same time. All my life I'd been independent, and now suddenly he comes in and decides to stake a claim on me?

The thought made me uneasy. But I was mostly furious. I could feel the steam slowly coming out of my ears, the fire slowly brewing inside of me and threatening to explode as my anger built up.

It wasn't just that I'd always been a rebellious and independent person, even before my parents died, but I'd always felt the urge to do things myself, my own way, and at my own pace. And I didn't like the way his possessiveness threatened my independence, the bases of who I am, who I'd always been.

Sasuke's reaction to his brother's appearance had also shocked me. It was evident that Itachi had been merely fooling around with Sasuke, but I had seen the murder in Sasuke's eyes. It had scared me because I didn't doubt for a minute that Sasuke would act on it.

The shirt caught my eye again as I grabbed my phone from my desk. It looked innocent, sitting on the other corner on my desk, and I was tempted to push it—the wretched thing that it was—off the desk and into the trashcan next to it.

I contemplated on how to return it. Or maybe I could just burn it; I doubt he would mind. He could live with one less shirt.

Another thought came to me out of no where, but I knew that it'd been lurking in my subconscious for a while. I wasn't sure if I was willing to think about the newfound knowledge of Sasuke's abilities yet.

The thought sent goose bumps down my arms, making me shiver. The room suddenly felt cold at the memory of the fire Sasuke had produced. It felt as thought all the warmth was gone, and as much as I hated to admit it, a sudden unpleasant urge came over me to be near Sasuke.

Shaking my head lightly, I grabbed the shirt, and headed out the door. Unfortunately, the shirt still smelled of him and I tried to ignore the fact that he smelled kind of nice.

All too quickly, I found myself in front of Sasuke's door and I hesitated on knocking on the door. At this point, who knew what would happen?

A couple of weeks ago, I would have been able to guess. A moody Sasuke would have opened the door, taken the shirt, and then slammed the door in my face without a single word spoken. Actually, I would have never had a shirt to begin with. There would have been no shirt ripping, or lending of shirts. None of that at all.

I wondered as to which scenario I preferred more: a moody Sasuke that seemed to have a problem with me, or the suddenly possessive Sasuke that always seemed to catch me unaware.

Both were just as confusing, and totally different. But why was that? Why did he, without warning, transform into something so different? I didn't like the feeling of whiplash the sudden change provoked.

Unexpectedly, the door swung open in front of me; I had to hold back from screeching, my heart nearly jumping out of my chest.

"Sakura, whatcha doing standing in front of the door?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes suddenly brightening…if that was possible. "Want to go get some ramen with me? I'm just about to meet Hinata and I doubt she'll mind if you come along."

"Ahh…no, but thanks." I held up Sasuke's shirt so Naruto could see it. "Could you put this on Sasuke's bed please?"

Naruto stared at it, confused. He probably wondered why I had Sasuke's shirt, and my face heated up as I thought of all the possibilities running through his head.

"He let me borrow it when mine got ruined," I hastily explained, shoving the shirt into his hands and backing away. "Thanks Naruto, I'll take a rain check on the ramen!"

I turned and hurried down the hallway. The door shut behind me, allowing me to breathe more freely. The hard part was over, now I just had to somehow avoid Sasuke. It would be easier that way. Maybe he'd cool down and realize that his possessiveness was a little overwhelming, which was the worst thing possible at the moment.

But then again, there was nothing worse than a loud-mouthed Naruto going around with the wrong idea. Especially _that _kind of idea.

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Ennea.

9.

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"Open your eyes Sakura," Auntie said, placing her hand on my shoulder. She gave my shoulder a light squeeze, indicating that I was doing something right.

I obeyed what she said and found an orb of crystal clear water hovering in front of me.

"Keep your mind focused on the concept of its shape and size. Keep imagining it as round and hovering." Her words faded into the distance as I stared at the orb. Was this really happening?

Weeks had gone by since the first day of our training. Even though I'd asked, Auntie had refused to allow me to use water. But finally here I was manipulating water to my will by shaping and moving it.

"Don't ever try to pull water out of thin air," Auntie reminded me, helping me to my feet. "If you do, it'll be disastrous. You could severely dehydrate yourself from trying to so. Elementalists have died overworking their bodies. Don't make that mistake. Use natural water outside your body."

I nodded, slowly lowering the orb back into the basin of water. It made a plopping noise as it connected with the surface, making the surface ripple and distort its reflection.

"I guess that'll be all for today. See you tomorrow, Sakura." Auntie gathered her things and then turned with a wave, disappearing out the door.

The silence echoed around me as I stood there, my eyes watching as the water's surface slowly came to a stop, smoothing out as the ripples calmed to a standstill.

Suddenly, to my shock and horror, black eyes materialized on the surface of the water.

I stumbled backwards with a shout, my foot catching on my wooden katana and making me stumble to the ground with a crash. Panting, I sat there stunned and terrified for a moment, my eyes staring at the basin as I tried to get my nerves under control.

Getting on my hands and knees, I approached the basin cautiously, mentally preparing myself for the soulless eyes I had seen in the basin. However, those black, menacing eyes were gone, leaving only a smooth and glassy surface that looked undisturbed.

With shaky hands, I picked up the basin and brought it closer to my face. The reflection of my shocked face greeted me, my eyes wide with a glint of fear in them.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke's voice echoed around me in the empty room.

With a shriek I managed to do three things: get whiplash from turning to stare at Sasuke so quickly, increase my chances of a major heart attack, and let the basin slip from my fingers and soak myself and the floor.

The rolling basin rolled to a stop across the room, the sound of it scraping against the floor the only sound in the room. Well, that and my pounding heart, which I'm pretty sure Sasuke could hear clearly.

"I wasn't doing anything," I told him, glancing down at the basin and then at my wet clothes. "But thank you for that, I needed a shower anyways."

Sasuke smirked and replied, "You're welcome, but next time you might want to use soap."

I glared at him as I stood up, my wet clothes hanging from my frame heavily. I felt like a wet cat, grumpy, drenched, and pissed off. The last thing on my list today was to get soaked.

Sasuke walked over and picked up the basin before handing it to me.

With an angry 'thanks', I started to squeeze out as much water as I could from my pants. Thank goodness my shirt was still mostly dry and that I wasn't wearing white, or any light color for that matter. This morning I'd felt like wearing a dark red, a choice that I was now thankful for.

"You've been avoiding me," Sasuke stated, his eyes never leaving me as I continued to squeeze out water into the basin.

"I've just been busy," I told him, refusing to meet his eyes. A guilty feeling formed in my stomach, making it twist with nervousness.

"Being busy and going out of your way to avoid someone are two different things Sakura." My eyes snapped up to his, surprise coursing through me at the fact that he'd actually said my name. I knew for a fact that he rarely said my name. Naruto's he said a lot, followed by an insult. Auntie's he mentioned here and there, and Hinata's sometimes too, but never mine.

"Can you blame me Sasuke?" I sighed, walking over to the door and opening it slightly to dump the water outside before turning back to him. "You're like a rollercoaster, and no, that isn't a good thing. One minute you're all moody, the next you're claiming that I'm yours, which I'm not. Two months ago you would have claimed that I was just another fangirl."

"I honestly thought you were one," Sasuke mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. "But I've been having these feelings lately, and I don't know if they're real or if they're from the dreams I've been having."

"Then don't act on them," I exclaimed. "I've been having the same dreams, yes _those _ones, and I understand where you're coming from, but that doesn't mean you have to act on them and go all possessive."

"Hn." I rolled my eyes, putting the basin back in its normal spot in the weapons room. Clearly it was a sore subject for him, so it was better to back off for now. The things he'd said echoed in my mind, and in my heart. I understood what he was going through. My dreams weren't going to stop anytime soon and that frustrated me. Instead they seemed to play each night like episodes in a show. Pause when I wake up and resume when I fall asleep.

Exiting the weapons room, I watched Sasuke approach the door, silently waiting for me. As I got closer, he opened the door and exited, waiting for me outside. It was quiet as we walked. I knew that he wasn't going to start a conversation, and I wasn't going to force him to talk to me. Surprisingly, the silence was comfortable and I didn't mind it.

Our building came into sight as we walked down the path. Sasuke grabbed my arm as I went to step into the street, stopping me from nearly getting run over as a car raced past us. The car screeched to a halt, backing up quickly and stopping in front of us.

"Sasuke, you didn't have to do that," Ami exclaimed with a grin, her convertible humming quietly. "I would have gladly run her over for you."

"I prefer her alive," Sasuke said, not bothering to look at Ami as he dragged me around the back of the car. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye before letting go of my arm and opening the dormitory door.

"Thanks for that," I told him as I followed after him into the entrance. My heart was still racing from my near-fatality. I didn't know if it was fear or anger that caused my hands to tremble, but I knew for a fact that if Ami tried to kill me again, I wouldn't be so careless.

"Hn," Sasuke mumbled as we walked up the stairs. Before I knew it, we were walking down our hallway and standing in front of our doors.

"Well…" I trailed off, staring uncertainly at him. I was so confused at the moment, about everything that had happened today. I couldn't get my mind around all of it—my near death with a car, his defensive actions against Ami's hostility, and his confession. "I guess I'll see you later."

"No more avoiding." Sasuke opened his door and remained in the doorway, waiting for my response.

Instead of saying anything, I shrugged and opened my door, closing it softly behind me. I listened for the quiet click of his door as I stared at my own, unable to summon the energy to move until I heard it. It made me smile for some bizarre and unknown reason, that momentary pause.

"Hey, Hinata." Hinata sat at her desk with her head in her hands.

I paused, my eyes taking in her hunched form and her tense shoulders. I stood there, waiting for a reply. When she remained silent, I approached her as my heart started to race again.

Maybe she was sleeping, or in a deep concentration. But I would have believed that if it had been anyone else other than Hinata. She just didn't ignore people, even when she was in a profound and unbroken concentration.

"Hinata?" I poked her in the arm, bent down and tried to peer at her face. Her fingers covered her face, her nose the only visible part of her face.

"Anyone in there?" I asked, trying to joke. It didn't ward off that forebodingly nervous knot forming in my stomach when she didn't respond. Something felt off, something with Hinata seemed different. Now that we were very close friends, I didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

I shook her shoulder lightly, but instead of reacting, she slid sideways off her chair and hit the floor with a loud smack. She lay there motionless, her fingers falling away from her face and revealing her wide eyes. They stared emptily into space, her mouth open and gaping.

"Hinata!" I cried out, gathering her in my arms and pulling her up onto the bed. Panting, I checked her vitals and found her to still be alive and her heartbeat only slightly elevated.

Reaching for the phone, I was about to dial when Hinata suddenly sat up. She rubbed her shoulder, the one that'd hit the floor, before she finally focused on me. Her eyes glazed over again for a heartbeat before they focused on me, clear and attentive.

"Hinata?"

"Yes?" Hinata picked herself up from the bed and settled back down at the desk—leaving me to wonder what had just happened. She wiggled her fingers for a moment before she started to type, her fingers flying across the keys. The image reminded me of a pianist, sitting and weaving fabrics of music for perusal.

"You just…" I trailed off, staring at the back of her head in uncertainty. She was acting like nothing had happened, when, clearly, she had fallen off of her chair and onto the floor where she'd lain, motionless and puppet-like. Her frighteningly empty eyes stared at me sightlessly in my mind, her parted lips and waxy face reminiscent of a corpse's lifeless features.

"What?" Hinata stopped typing and spun her chair around, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt nervously. I couldn't figure out why she was so nervous. She seemed uncertain, also afraid to tell me what had happened.

"You weren't responding to me, and I shook your shoulder and you fell and hit the floor," I babbled, pointing at the spot on the floor where she'd fallen. I caught myself before I continued, somehow knowing that she already knew what had happened.

"T-that was nothing," Hinata stammered, her white eyes following the path of my finger and resting her gaze on the floor.

I would have believed her, but it was just so _weird_. It was strange now, too. She was _stammering_. She _never _stammered anymore, not when she was around me, at least. Alarm bells went off in my head.

"You can tell me, Hinata," I reassured her. "You can trust me."

"I was hoping you would just drop it." Hinata sighed, lowered her head and stared at her hands clasped in her lap. "I was having a vision."

"A vision…like seeing the future?" I asked, inhaling sharply. My toes curled in anticipation as I prepared myself for an explanation, one that I wasn't sure whether I wanted to hear or not.

"Yes, but they're always changing, and I only see them about my friends," Hinata said, tucking a strand of dark blue hair behind her ear. "I kind of zone out when I get the visions, and I don't really get a choice in whether I see them or not."

"Kind of zone out?" I joked, alleviating the tense atmosphere. "You hit the floor hard and you didn't even flinch."

"Yeah, that happens." Hinata laughed softly. "The first time I had a vision, I didn't understand how I was suddenly in the street, watching my friend get hit by a car when I'd just been inside watching TV. My mom was freaked out when I told her what I'd seen, it took her a while to understand me through my crying. She called her mom and found out that she was perfectly fine."

"Was it scary, not understanding what was going on?" I asked, remembering my personal experiences with my own abilities. But this was something completely different, something I couldn't even imagine. In a way, I was lucky to have developed my powers this late and not have to deal with the trauma of having them as a kid.

I allowed myself a moment to think about what it would have been like, to be with my parents and develop these powers. Would I still be here, in this bedroom, if things had been different? Would I be just as lost, or would better understand them? Would I have ever met Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto? Or would I be at some other college, calling my parents every weekend and seeing them during the holidays?

What hurt the most, though, was the fact that I'd never know. I'd never get to experience what it would have been like with my parents still alive. They were never coming back. Every time I realized that, it hurt like a thousand shards of glass tearing at my heart.

"It was terrifying. For weeks I kept having visions of things that weren't actually happening only to see them happen hours or even days later," Hinata said, shaking her head to get rid of the memories. Her dark blue hair fell in curtains around her face as she stared at her feet, her toes tracing one of the lines in the floorboard.

"How far into the future can you see?" Hinata shrugged her shoulders almost nonchalantly, as though she'd been asked this question a thousand times before.

"Not too far, a couple of days. The longest I've seen into the future was a week," Hinata told me, scratching at her flustered cheek. Noticing her beat red face, I decided that I'd asked enough questions for now.

The annoying clinging of my clothes to my skin reminded me that I was soaking wet. I stood and headed for my closet to grab some dry clothes. The call of some nice warm clothes made me shiver in eagerness.

"So what vision did you just have?" I couldn't help but ask, decided that that would be the final question.

I could hear Hinata giggling, and I came back out with raised eyebrows. Hinata's cheeks were a brighter red than before, her lips pressed together as she tried to hold in the words that threatened to spill out unwillingly.

"It wasn't anything important," Hinata told me, her eyes looking out the window with an excited glint. "Naruto is going to come over later and ask if I have any ramen. Then he's going to ask if I want to go get some with him."

She started to giggle nervously. The sound brought a smile to my face.

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The hot water rained down on my shoulders and collarbone as I stood under the spray. Steam rose up in thick spirals around me, warming my cold face and filling my lungs with pleasantly tepid air.

It felt good to get out of my cold, wet clothes. It felt good to just stand there and not have to think, to be anywhere, to worry about anything.

Unwilling thoughts suddenly filled my brain, causing a frown to come to my face.

Hinata had abilities just like me. I wasn't alone, if you could really call it alone, when Sasuke, Itachi, and Auntie were just like me and understood. But knowing that Hinata also understood made me feel better.

My fingers curled into a fist when I realized that Auntie had lied to me, again. Would she ever stop lying and just tell me the truth? I doubted she would. And she'd done it so easily too, so willingly.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, forcing my shoulders to relax and my brain to just forget for the moment. Looking down, I started to picture a sphere of water, anything to take my mind off the hurt of betrayal that was blooming in my chest. As the sphere formed, the spray of the shower bounced off it as if it were made of glass.

My thoughts slowly ebbed away as I felt the power flow through me. It felt like a liquid fire was burning through my veins, warming me from the inside out. The only other time I'd felt like this was when…

I growled quietly and let the perfect square fall to the shower floor with a splash. I would not think of Sasuke. It wasn't allowed to, not when I was so confused and jumbled up with emotions.

Shutting off the shower with a frown—my newfound abilities had made my showering time increase along with my love for water—I stepped out of the shower and grabbed a large, fluffy white towel. I just stood there for a moment, feeling the water running down my legs and over my collarbone, resting on my shoulders and trailing down my spine like gentle fingers caressing me.

The sounds of the door opening made me turn with a blush on my face, one that I mentally blamed on the heat of the shower.

"Ew" was all Ami said as she walked over to the long mirror and gazed at herself in it. She leaned forward and fixed her hair and makeup, her eyes sweeping over me as though I didn't exist.

I was tempted to tell her that the feeling was mutual, but I opted instead to dry my hair with a towel, my back facing her. As I did so, I wondered where her friends were, but was glad that they weren't here. One of them was enough; I didn't need four ganging up on me.

"For someone so smart, I think you still don't understand me when I say that Sasuke is _mine_," Ami said loudly, her eyes finding mine in the reflection of the mirror as I turned to stare at her with exasperation.

"He's all yours," I informed her, hiding the fact that those words irked me more than they should have. Sure, the first time I'd actually meant them, but I wasn't too sure now if I did or not.

"You say that, but I know you don't mean it," Ami retorted snidely, turning to face me with her hands on her hips. It angered me that she could stand there so arrogantly and claim that she knew what I meant when she didn't.

"Look, you don't know me or what I'm feeling so don't act like you do." I turned away from her and grabbed my brush, moving to stand a ways away from her in front of the mirror. I could sense her glaring at me from the corner of my eye, but I chose to ignore it, hoping that she would just give up and leave.

"I don't need to know you to see the way you look at him," Ami finally spat, heading for the door. "_You're _crossing the line into my territory."

"You—" Turning to her, I was cut off as she shoved me into the mirror, surprised that she could put so much force into one little shove. Without a backward glance, she was out the door, closing it with a slam.

With a shaky breath, I straightened and examined my shoulder. She'd been able to not only make my breath leave my lungs, but shove me hard enough to break the mirror.

"She's psycho," I muttered to myself, gritting my teeth as I pulled out the small shard of glass in my shoulder and stared at it. Blood covered one end of it, the sight making my hair stand on end.

My eyes flickered back to my shoulder in time to see the skin closing up, not even leaving a scratch. Reaching up, I wiped the blood away and leaned in closer to the mirror. Why did I suddenly have super healing abilities?

Rushing back to my clothes, I quickly changed and ran out of the bathroom. I didn't dare to look at the cracked mirror. It was too much of a reminder that Ami was not afraid to eliminate me to get what she wanted, and that something unexplained was going on with me. Something that I needed answers to, something that I refused to let Auntie sidestep around and leave me in the dark about.

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Auntie didn't seem surprised when I barged into her office. No doubt, these last couple of months she'd had more than a couple of people walk into her office without knocking.

"When are you going to stop lying to me?" I asked her, trying to control my breathing from running all the way here. My anger was back and I felt as if I was going to snap like a wire strung too tight

The look on Auntie's face gave me little satisfaction as she stared at me with a knowing look. It was as though she'd been waiting for this moment, this outburst, and hadn't tried to stop it, but instead let it play out.

"It wasn't my right to tell you," she explained, leaning back in her chair as if a weight were being placed on her shoulders. The knowing look changed to one of pain, like she wanted to tell me everything, but couldn't.

"But it was your right to tell everyone else about my abilities?" I ran a hand through my damp hair, fighting the urge to tug on the pink strands, hard. This was always going to go in circles; I was always going to be the last to know, or the one to not know.

"I needed someone to protect you." My laugh was short and harsh, the sound bitter and a surprise even to myself.

"No, you're just afraid. This isn't about protecting me, it's about keeping me in the dark," I told her, moving forward until I was standing in front of her desk and staring down at her. "I've seen the past. I've seen what's happened. You're afraid that if I know the things you don't want me to know, they'll repeat."

"I'm not afraid—" Auntie Tsunade started to refuse, her knuckles white from clutching the arms of her chair. Her nails dug into the soft padding, creating indents.

"Stop lying to me, just stop it!" I yelled, my voice shaking as stared at her. I willed her to drop the act—that she didn't have to afraid for me or have to keep up a fake visage around me. "I can take care of myself, but I can only do that if I know the truth. I need to know who is on my side, whom I can trust, but all you've been doing is lying to me, over and over again."

"I had to, okay?" She sprang from her seat, her blond hair curling around her face as she leaned over the desk, her eyes holding mine sternly. "There are certain things that you cannot know and things that you have to figure out on your own. I admit, I am afraid, but there are certain things that I do not have the right to tell you about other people. Only they can tell you."

"And who are they?"

"You're friends." Auntie didn't say anything else, but instead moved to stare out the window, leaving me standing at her desk and even more confused by her choice of words. How was I supposed to know who my friends were when she wouldn't tell me who was on my side and who wasn't? Her other words rang in my head: _you have to figure out on your own_

My shoulders slumped with the realization that this was all I was going to get out of her. Even though I was hurt by her abandonment, I resolved to let it go. There was nothing I could do; she'd already made her choice to leave me in the dark.

"When the time is right—"

Hinata burst through the door, her breath coming out in pants and her face contorted in panic. She looked between me and Auntie as she tried to speak and breathe at the same time.

We both stared at Hinata in shock as she stood in the doorway, one hand on her chest and the other on the doorframe.

"Slow down Hinata, what's the matter?" Auntie rushed over to her and led her to the couch were she collapsed down without a word. I went and closed the door, looking into the hallway and relieved to find it empty.

"I…_pant_…Sakura—future…_pant_…water—" she cut off as she swallowed heavily. "Death."

"Whoa wait…death?" I came to stand next to Auntie, fear rooting me to my spot.

When Hinata had explained her ability to me, I'd believed her. If she was predicting my death then there was a high chance that it was going to happen. She wouldn't lie about something like this or even joke about it.

"Hinata, did you see Sakura die?" Hinata shook her head furiously as she twisted her hands until her knuckles turned white. She breathed through her mouth loudly as though trying to expel the fear with each exhale.

"You saw me…die? As in, my eyes close and never open again?" I didn't want to accept that she had seen me die. I wasn't supposed to die until I figured out what the heck I was supposed to do with my life.

Hinata seemed to confirm my fear for good when she shook her head up and down slowly. Tears welled up in her eyes as they unfocused for a moment, the vision flashing in front of her eyes as she remembered.

"I…Sakura was in a meadow with this big waterfall." Her words were cut off by my groan, but Auntie held up her hand to silence me abruptly. "She was bleeding badly and fell into the pond, but she didn't come up."

"How did you know I didn't come up? Doesn't your vision usually end right after you've seen what you need to?" I asked, once again hoping to find some fault. Who wouldn't want to disprove their future being death? Everyone was afraid of death, and I sure as heck wasn't excluded from that fear.

"Slow down Sakura, we don't know if her vision is true or not." Auntie stopped to gather her thoughts, her face paler than I'd ever seen it. "Have you ever seen this meadow before in any other vision?"

"No, this was the first time I've ever seen it…it was nighttime in the vision, and Sakura was wearing armor."

Auntie Tsunade didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes fixed on the wall over Hinata's head. Finally she moved towards her desk and quietly pulled out a small strip of cloth.

Hinata's eyes widened as Auntie brought the cloth over to her and held it out to her. What I had thought was originally cloth was actually a small belt with loops on it for holding things with handles.

But what caught my eye was the twisting symbols on the belt, symbols that I had seen so often in my dreams that I could recognize them anywhere.

Seeing the symbols made me wonder what else in my dreams was real. Before I could finish the thought, Hinata started speaking.

"She was wearing that," Hinata told us, her eyes not straying from the leather in Auntie's hands.

"Well…this changes things." Auntie frowned as she looked up at me, fear flashing in her eyes before she hid it. At that moment, seeing the fear in her eyes, I started to have a faint idea of what Auntie was afraid.

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So, that's it for now, I guess. I hope the wait was worth it, the months and months and months of waiting. Looking back, I just realized that I haven't updated since February! How horrible of me, I'm so sorry once again, but truthfully, I've been busy and just wanted to relax. I'll try and post and update more if I can, but I can't make any promises.

Thanks for reading and even though I don't deserve reviews for the long wait for an update, they are appreciated greatly. Reviews make me laugh and give me ideas and motivate me to write and give me inspiration to update. Yeah, they have that much affect on me.


	10. Ten

I'll save my comments for the end of the story since I know a lot of you have been waiting for this story.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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Sasuke ran to Tsunade's brick building, ignoring the ache in his side and girls staring after him with longing gazes. When he'd received the phone call, it'd only taken one sentence for him to come running.

He didn't know why he was reacting like this, hell, he didn't understand any of his feelings anymore. Ever since Sakura had arrived, things had changed. Emotions he'd buried were being dug up, dreams he'd never had before were appearing every night, and that throbbing in his chest—right where his heart was, which he sometimes wondered if he still had one—thrummed every time he was around her.

It felt like hours before he finally made it to that glorious and ominous brick building. Sasuke knew that when he walked out later, things would be different. Tsunade rarely called him unless she needed something, and she never called with fear in her voice. That subtle shaking of her tone had made him stop what he'd been doing and head straight for the building.

Taking two steps at a time, three when he had a chance, Sasuke opened Tsunade's office door without knocking. He never did knock, why would he start now?

"Sasuke—"

"What's going on?" he cut Tsunade off, taking a deep breath and trying to smooth out his face. He knew the emotions flashing across his face were new, the worried furrowing of his eyebrows, the unhappy frown, the fearful glint in his eyes.

Even though he didn't like the display of emotions, he was more focused on the way Hinata was leaning heavily against the back of the couch. Sakura sat next to her and was rubbing her hands together in anxiety, her eyes staring unseeingly at the floor.

"Hinata had a vision," Itachi informed him, turning from his spot in front of the window.

Sasuke felt the urge to punch Itachi, not liking how he was involving himself. But there were other things that needed to be dealt with first. Maybe later he'd get a chance to punch Itachi.

"What did she see?" Sasuke saw Sakura look at him out of the corner of his eye. He wondered if she knew about Hinata's ability or not, if Tsunade had had the guts to tell her about Naruto and Hinata. If she didn't know, he figured that she did now.

"I saw Sakura dying," Hinata breathed out, her words barely audible over the sudden rushing of Sasuke's ears. He felt his blood burning in his veins, making him want to pull out his lighter and use his fire. After that, he wasn't sure what he'd use his fire on, but he figured his first target could be his brother.

"And because of this vision," Tsunade said, rubbing her forehead wearily and sighing sadly. "You'll have to go to the other dimension."

"Why?" Sakura asked, standing up and crossing her arms. "Hinata said she saw me die in the meadow, the meadow in the other dimension. Going there will get me killed."

"Hinata's visions change, but this one hasn't," Tsunade explained, crossing her arms and mirroring Sakura. She gave Sakura a no-nonsense look. "You have to go to the other dimension to stop it. Besides, you were going to have to cross over anyways. There have been uprising from Orochimaru's group, rumors that he's trying to get out of Hell. Only you can stop him—"

"I don't know how! You haven't told me shit and you expect me to cross to the other dimension and stop some guy that has been planning revenge for centuries?" Sakura argued angrily.

A sudden cold feeling started to form in the room, making the hair on Sasuke's arms stand on end. Sakura didn't notice as she let out an ire filled breath, a white cloud forming from her breath.

Tsunade stared at Sakura and something snapped in her eyes, the fear leaving and determination taking its place. Standing, she went around the desk and stood in front of Sakura. Placing her hands on Sakura's shoulders, she said, "You have to fight. Everything you know is in here," Tsunade paused to tap lightly at Sakura's temple. "You won't be alone when you do this."

Sakura's face crumpled as her eyes fluttered closed. She took in a shaky breath before opening her eyes and looking at her Aunt, nodding slowly as dread slowly crawled up her spine .

The door burst open, slamming against the wall with enough force to leave a dent and making everyone turn. Naruto walked in, an excited grin on his face as he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder and asked, "So, when do we leave?"

"You all will be leaving soon," Tsunade stated as she swept past Naruto without another word, Itachi close behind her. Her shoes could be heard as she moved down the hall in a hurried gait.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Deka.

10.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

My lungs felt like they were being crushed. I couldn't breathe or move.

"I can't breathe," I informed my Aunt Tsunade, inhaling gratefully when she finally let me go and opted instead to look me in the eyes worriedly. At that moment, she reminded me of my mom more than she ever had. It'd been so long since I'd seen anyone in such a fret over my wellbeing.

"I'll be fine," I tried to reassure her, swallowing heavily at the obvious lie. I couldn't promise her something like that, not when my future was an impending doom.

"You better be." Auntie's shoulders drooped for a moment before they straightened. Her attempt at remaining strong gave me little confidence. "You're the daughter I never had, even if it was for a short time."

"I'll be fine," I repeated, turning and shouldering my pack.

"Is everyone ready?" I tugged at the hem of my long sleeved shirt nervously, smoothing my cotton pants while shifting from foot to foot, my training shoes squeaking lightly. Tsunade had given the clothes to me, warning me of the cold nights and long trek ahead.

I wished she had warmed me about the more important matters rather than the weather. I didn't have a chance to voice my concern as Tsunade passed me and walked straight for the door.

We headed out of her office and instead of going down the stairs Tsunade led us through her apartment. She approached the door I had never entered, one that had been locked every time I had jiggled the knob.

Pulling out a key on a chain around her neck, Tsunade unlocked the door and let it swing open. I took in everything as I walked into the room. What looked like glass display cases lined the entire left wall, bending with the corner and ending halfway along the far wall, inside ancient, dusty looking books opened at random pages. On the far right a metal staircase wound up and up until it disappeared through a square in the ceiling. The right wall was scattered with paintings of every size and shape, every subject and color. A giant tapestry of a blond haired woman atop a golden horse ran down the middle of the wall in vibrant colors. In her left hand was a raised sword with an emerald encrusted hilt.

Sasuke and Naruto stepped into the room with a familiar ease. Hinata followed and moved off to the side, towards the display cases. Naruto shut the door behind Hinata and locked it. My gut told me they had been here before, several times judging by the way they step up to the display cases without hesitation.

Tsunade moved towards a small painting next to the tapestry. For a moment she stood there, staring at the tapestry with a far away look in her eyes, then she touched the surface of the painting and it shimmered before dissolving. Underneath laid a small number pad with an eye scanner.

After punching in the ten digit code and scanning her eye, Tsunade turned towards the display case and I watched as the ancient books shimmered and disappeared, revealing silver weapons encrusted with rubies and sapphires, armor and hand made chainmail, and stones of every color and shape.

The glass casing slid down, allowing Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata to reach in and grab the katanas in front of them. They continued to grab objects, stopping every once in a while to contemplate whether they should bring it or not. Naruto put a bright orange, circular stone in his pack, Sasuke grabbing an obsidian one. Hinata reached for a gray one.

I didn't dare grab anything, especially when I wasn't sure what some of the objects were or what they were for.

I opted instead to stand there and watch Tsunade grab a familiar looking katanas with symbols I would forever recognize. Then she grabbed armor that looked worn but still powerful and a locket that I'd never seen before.

My hands felt sweaty as I took the sword and armor from her outstretched hands. With the sword and armor safely strapped down in my pack and the locket resting on my breastbone, I felt as ready as I'd ever be.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The metal staircase led to a landing that looked like an attic. The only thing missing was the old, dusty furniture.

Tsunade led the way, each footstep making the staircase groan. Sasuke followed behind me, Hinata behind him, Naruto bringing up the rear.

On the far side of the landing was a door. I couldn't imagine what was behind this one after all I had seen behind the last door. I could hear a faint humming noise, growing louder as we got closer to the door.

Tsunade opened the door and I could see the sky and clouds over her shoulder. I followed her through it and raised a hand to block out the wind wiping me in the face. The roar was deafening, resounding in my body with each swipe of the helicopter blades.

The walls of the roof of the building rose up high, hiding the helicopter with the false appearance of a normal roof.

I watched as the helicopter door slid open. Itachi motioned for us and we jogged up to the door and got inside, settling in our seats and buckling up. I was relieved that we were finally going, but that didn't mean I wanted to deal with this. Every vision Hinata had seen had come true, who were we to try and change this one, to try and change fate?

Sasuke sat down next to me and for a moment I was calm and confident. Sasuke knew what he was doing, so did Naruto and Hinata. I wasn't alone in this.

But then the doubt came back. None of us had ever crossed over to the other dimension. Once we were on the other side, what would we do?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

As the looming trees blurred by below me, I contemplated what I was about to do. I was about to cross over to the other dimension and fight a war that I didn't understand. A war that I hadn't been involved in a year ago, that I wouldn't have dreamed of being involved in now.

What I was about to do, it was unthinkable. It went against everything I knew, against the normality that had been my life months, years ago.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sasuke's head turn. People always said that they could feel people staring at them, could feel the eyes on the back of their head, but I couldn't feel his eyes boring into the side of my face. That alone made a part of me shrivel up inside in fear. Fear at that small weakness and the other weaknesses of mine that could get me killed.

I didn't have time to contemplate what my other weaknesses were as the helicopter slowly lowered. We came to a clearing and the helicopter landed. Itachi and Tsunade remained strapped in, watching us unbuckle and grab out packs.

Itachi nodded at me and although I couldn't hear him above the roar of the helicopter, I knew he was wishing me luck. I smiled back, keeping my doubt to myself. I would need more than just luck.

I hugged Tsunade as best as I could around her seat buckles. It took her a moment to let go, the reluctance clear in her face.

"Please come back," she yelled in my ear over the helicopter. I nodded, my eyes welling up. I blinked rapidly, turning so she wouldn't see how upset and scared I was.

I got out of the helicopter and joined the Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata. We stood together at the edge of the clearing, watching as the helicopter ascended and moved over the tree tops before disappearing from sight.

Hinata pulled out a map from her backpack. She opened it and knelt down, placing it on the grass so we could all see it.

"So we're here," she stated as she pointed at a clearing on the map. Her finger trailed up the map slowly but surely. "We need to go this way."

She turned and headed into the woods, Naruto close behind her. Sasuke glanced at me and together we followed them. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I trusted Hinata to lead us the correct way. All I knew was we needed to find the portal.

We trekked through the forest quietly, our breathing the only sound besides the natural sounds of nature, the sun setting slowly across the sky. The tall trees let out little creaks and moans as the wind picked up, disturbing them and giving my goosebumps.

When we had started our journey the sun had been much higher in the sky. The heat had been sweltering, but now that night was approaching the air was much cooler, a great relief to all of us.

We had all been tense. Naruto surprisingly had kept silent, knowing that at any moment someone could fly out and attack them. Hinata had been fidgety, her eyes darting around, staring at the trees and expecting someone to appear from behind one of them. Both had stuck together, Naruto helping her over large fallen trees and her helping him out of his pack when we took rests.

I guess Sasuke and I were doing the same, but I hadn't really paid attention. I was too busy trying to imagine what would happen when we got to the portal. I wondered if it would be easy or hard to cross over.

In my mind, I imagined a shimmering veil that hung from the branches of two tall, ancient trees with winding trunks. Although it was unlikely that that was what it would actually be like, it calmed me slightly. As long as I continued to convince myself that I knew what to expect I wouldn't feel so much like a headless chicken.

Auntie Tsunade had told me to just feel it, let my abilities lead me on how to open the portal.

Of course this hadn't helped me calm down at all, but made me more nervous. What if I couldn't open the portal? What if we were stuck here and couldn't get to the other side to change what Hinata had saw?

I shook my head, not allowing myself to think about that.

Shivers racked my body, goosebumps appearing on my skin as the hair on my arms rose painfully. Oddly, the air seemed to be colder than normal. As I breathed out my breath turned to ice, visible and a clear sign it was colder than it should be.

Auntie Tsunade had warned us of this. She claimed it had been too long for her memory to possibly remember everything that had happened when she had crossed over.

I stumbled over a branch that was sticking out of the ground, my hand reaching out to steady myself. I felt a hand on my other arm, its grip only loosening when I had my footing again. Without glancing in that direction, I knew it was Sasuke.

"We're close," his low voice sounded loud in the air, the silence making every noise startlingly loud.

His statement wasn't needed. We all felt it, the crackling energy that surged through the air as we got closer to the meadow and the gateway to the other dimension.

I shifted the pack on my back, the armor clinking together inside. My katanas were strapped to my back under the bag, but the hilts were free so I could reach over my shoulders and unsheathe them at any time.

Auntie hadn't told me where she'd gotten the katanas. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know or not. The armor, she told me, she'd brought over from the other side. It felt weird to think about the armor and the fact that I'd worn it thousands of years ago and that I'd be wearing it again soon.

After another ten minutes of walking, the trees started to thin out. It started to get steeper until we broke through the trees and stopped at the edge of a cliff.

No one spoke for a moment.

The cliff we were standing dipped and only leveled off after a long way down. The clearing at the bottom was huge, miles wide, or more. The cliff ran all around the edge, waterfalls lining them and flowing into streams. All the streams flowed straight to the middle where there stood a huge stone temple that looked thousands of years old. Vines and moss ran over the worn away edges and ran down the walls, thousands of years giving them time to grow down the wall, but not enough time to reach the bottom. The walls looked eroded, but even after all this time the symbols were still visible from their carved places in the walls.

"How the hell do we get down there?" Sasuke spoke, breaking the silence. I could hear a hint of frustration in his voice which was new compared to the unemotional man I was so used to.

"I…I'm not sure." I looked around, trying to find some way to get down the rock walls surrounding the clearing.

The waterfalls were out of the question, along with scaling the wall. The walls were slanted, but were still too steep to even think of walking down.

Everyone was searching around trying to find a way down when Hinata froze, her eyes going blank as she fell to her knees. Naruto dropped to his knees besides her, his arm going around her back to support her.

Sasuke and I stood back a little, not wanting to disturb Hinata as she had a vision.

"Hinata…?" Naruto murmured as Hinata started to move again, her eyes focusing in and out before settling on Naruto. She looked into his blue eyes and smiled.

"I found a way down." We all gaped at her, glad but curious. "I saw us walking down a set of stairs carved out of the side of the wall." Naruto helped her up and steadied her as she regained her balance.

I felt bad for her. It must be hard being disoriented after having a vision and coming to on the floor, people standing over you worried.

"Do you know which way it is Hinata?" I asked her.

"I'm guessing it's to the right from the angle of the temple," she said thoughtfully while staring at the temple.

We set off along the cliff wall to the right while searching for any sign of staircases. I was starting to get nervous as the sun neared the horizon, just a sliver of sky preventing it from touching the horizon line. What if we didn't make it to the temple by midnight?

"We'll make it Sakura." My eyes stopped looking at the horizon and moved to Sasuke, surprised. For a moment I wondered if he had just read my mind before I mentally snorted. Yeah, right.

His black eyes twinkled, catching the sun's dusk rays. His face held a gentleness I had never seen and a determination that made my own determination flare up again. My breath caught in my throat at the beauty of his eyes and face.

"But what if we don't?" I let myself voice that one second of doubt I had pushed down earlier. Doubt in this journey, doubt in time, and doubt in myself.

"We will Sakura. Hinata saw us on the other side." I stared at him as all doubt left me. He was right. Hinata had seen it, had seen us in the other dimension.

"Yeah…you're right." I continued walking, Sasuke following me. Hinata and Naruto were ahead walking slowly.

Hinata slowed to a stop, her eyes looking at the temple.

"This is where the stairs should be…" she drifted off while approaching the cliff's edge. Naruto held onto her arm when she neared it and they both glanced over the edge.

I came up besides them and looked over also. All I could see were small plants sticking out of the rock wall and rocks skidding down to the bottom.

Something caught my eye. It was a tree that looked like half of it was coming out of the wall. I glanced around it, looking for anything else that looked like it was sticking out of the side of the wall like the tree.

Naruto and Hinata backed up from the ledge and started to walk along the wall again, searching for the stairs.

"Let's go, the stairs aren't here." Sasuke started to back away, but hesitated when I stayed at the edge. I nodded but continued to stare at the tree. Something was off with it, but I couldn't understand what.

A bird chirped as it flew through the sky. Its wings tilted as it landed on the tree and hopped down the length of the tree before it disappeared out of sight. I leaned forward to keep watching it but I couldn't find it on the tree.

Where had it go—

"SAKURA!"

I screamed as my foot slid over the side on loose dirt, followed by the rest of my body as I fell sideways off the edge. My scream was cut off as I slammed into the wall and slid downwards.

Loose rocks slid down the wall under me as I tried to grab onto something to stop my fall. I managed to grip onto something thin, and held on with all my might. There was a burning sensation in my hands. My momentum made me fall away from the wall for a moment before I came back, slamming into it. I screamed again as I slid down another couple of feet before stopping again.

"Sakura! Are you okay? Hold on, I'm coming down. Let me go Naruto!" I looked up and saw Sasuke on his hands and knees leaning over the edge while Naruto held him back.

"I-I'm fine," I shouted back. Dirt and rocks slid down the wall and I lowered my head to shield my face. I cried out as I slid down again. It occurred to me that I was holding onto a vine and that my hands were sweaty and sore, both not good things. But there wasn't anything I could do about it considering I was hanging above my grave.

My arms started to ache and I faintly heard the bird chirp again. I glanced around and found the tree down a little ways below me.

"You are the stupidest person alive Sakura…" I told myself as I slowly inched myself down the vine. I kept muttering this as I got closer to the tree.

"Stop Sakura!" I ignored Naruto's shouts. I heard Sasuke yelling at me, his threats making me smile shakily. I listened to his threats as I moved down the wall on the vine.

My arms ached like hell and my heart was still pounding in my chest. I could feel the sweat running down my back, my forehead, and my arms but I ignored it. I panted as I set my feet on the tree, praying that it wouldn't come loose and fall.

I clung to the vine as I slowly sat down on the tree. With one hand on the vine, I reached around to make sure my backpack and katanas were still strapped to me back. I sighed in relief when I found them to be.

I glanced up and shouted that I was fine. They were probably all going to kill me when they got their hands on me, even Hinata, for going the wrong way. I was supposed to be going up, not down.

I gaped as I set my eyes back on the wall. The bird was staring at me while perched in a nest inside a carved out section of the wall. The carved section ran deep into the wall and slanted down, stairs leading downwards.

I…I had found the stairs!

"Guys, I found the stairs! They're carved into the wall. They're here," I shouted up to them. Naruto shouted, his arm almost smacking Sasuke in the back of the head. He turned around the glare at Naruto before they started talking. Sasuke pointed at the vines and Naruto's face took on a terrified look.

Sasuke tightened his straps of his backpack before he crouched, his back to the temple. He slowly moved over the edge of the wall before starting slowly down the wall, holding on the vines.

As he got closer, I moved up the tree towards the wall and slowly stepped into the little alcove. It was big enough for two of me and vines ran along the wall and steps. We would have to very careful to not fall.

I watched as Sasuke stepped onto the tree and called up to them, telling them he was fine. He held onto the vine as he moved onto the steps also.

"Are you okay?" I nodded and watched as he came closer, inspecting me for injuries. "You're covered in dirt."

I looked down at my self and saw my whole front was covered in dirt. My shirt was torn in some places, but they weren't big tears so I was fine with it. I had some scratches but they didn't ache. Unfortunately my arms and hands burned but I chose to keep quiet about it.

"Well yeah, I just rolled down a wall of stone and dirt," I told him. He smirked while reaching up to brush off a piece of dirt near my mouth. His other hand came up and cupped my other cheek while he stared into my eyes.

I had to stop myself from shuddering, from getting lost in those eyes. His warm fingers reminded me that the danger was gone for just this moment but still there, lurking in the shadows and ready to strike.

With a small, relieved sigh, he released my face and stepped back, his face resuming its emotionless mask. He looked at the temple, my eyes following his.

I wanted to turn back and go home, to sink into my soft, safe bed and fall asleep thinking that everything would be okay. But I knew better than to wish for something like that. Where we were heading, there were no soft, safe beds. Where we were heading, things would be dangerous, unsafe.

Seconds later Hinata's feet appeared on the sideways tree. She slowly sat down and moved towards us, her face flushed with the exertion.

We could hear the girly screeches of Naruto as he slowly—slower than a snail—made his way down the wall.

Hinata sat on the tree and watched him for a moment before moving onto the stone steps. Naruto's girly screams grew louder until his feet were firmly planted onto the tree. He sat down and stayed there while clinging to the vine like it was a lifeline.

Well, it was a lifeline, but still. Only when you were falling down the cliff, not sitting on the tree, somewhat safe. I wanted to snort at that thought, but decided that Naruto's ego didn't need anymore dents.

It took Hinata a couple of minutes to get Naruto to move towards us on the tree and finally onto the stone staircase. We all stood there for a moment and stared at the sunset. We had gotten this far, there was no turning back now.

Only way was forward. Towards what? We didn't know, nor did we want know just yet.

_No soft, safe beds, _I reminded myself.

"Let's get going," I told them while I started down the stairs, careful to watch my step. I heard the others following behind me and we descended down the stone steps, one obstacle out of our way, more unknowns still to come.

The stairs continued at a steady downward slope until they somehow twisted into the wall further and we started going downwards in the opposite direction. This continued until we got closer to the ground, where the stairs detached from the wall and started downwards toward the temple.

I could feel everyone's exhaustion as we got closer. It wasn't until we were walking up the stairs of the temple a couple of hours later that I felt the energy coming from the ancient structure.

The stairs seemed to go on forever, but that might have been the exaggeration of my exhaustion. The heavy packs on our backs didn't help either.

I had to remind myself to breath as I stared all around me. The walls were nothing like the outside countenance. They were smooth, the stone not worn anywhere. Streams ran on each side of the stairs, leading up to a large room. The streams continued down each side of the long room before they stopped at the wall.

"Is that…" Naruto faltered, his eyes widening as he took in the large stone figure standing in the middle of the room.

"A grim reaper? Yeah," I answered, moving further into the room without taking my eyes off the reaper. Its torso was bare of clothing, but covered with symbols and markings that radiated a power I'd never felt before. Large, stone wings stood on each side of him, spread and appearing ready to take flight. The lower half of the grim reaper was covered in a robe, the top part folded over the rope at the waist and hanging towards the floor. All in all, the face scared me the most.

The eyes seemed to penetrate me, staring into every fiber of my being and analyzing me. Looking at the others, I knew they felt the same way. The mouth was set in a grim line, like it was forever to be that way, upset and unhappy.

"That's one big scythe," Naruto piped up again, Sasuke agreeing with a nod of his head. I would have found it funny, Sasuke actually _agreeing_ with Naruto, but Naruto was right. It was huge, so large that I had no doubt that it could take my head off with one clean swipe.

"I think that's where we're heading," Hinata said as she pointed to the wall behind the grim reaper. A large arched frame was carved into the wall, large symbols branching out from the doorway. Other than the symbols branching out from the arched frame, the doorway was smooth.

"But how do we get through it? It's stone," Naruto complained, his shoulders drooping. "And we don't have time to go back and grab some hammers."

Glancing up at the large opening in the ceiling, the sky stretched out above me. Stars blanketed the sky, the moon an ominous figure that only served to remind me of what little time we had.

"I don't think we're digging our way through," Sasuke told him, his eyes flickering to me. Silently, I knew the message he was trying to send me.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this," I muttered, looking back at my friends. Sasuke nodded, encouraging me to what my body was telling me to do.

My footsteps were the only sounds as I stepped up in front of the stone grim reaper. I tried to find what to say, but I came up blank. What was I supposed to say? Open Sesame? Or maybe there was a secret password I was supposed to know.

I was stumped. I didn't know any passwords.

I opened my mouth and sighed when nothing came out. Closing my eyes, I dug deep within myself and searched. There had to be something, anything that I could say.

"Open the passage between the worlds so we may pass," I told the grim reaper after a moment, faintly realizing that the words I were speaking didn't sound familiar even though I knew what I was speaking. They sounded like another language, but I didn't dwell on the thought for very long.

I opened my eyes, yelping when the stone figure trembled in front of me for a moment before it stilled again.

The stone grim reaper's face suddenly transformed, its eyes focusing as the stone covering its face slowly broke away, showing pale, waxy skin underneath. Oh God, it wasn't stone. It was alive and looking very angry for being disturbed.

The urge to step back ran through me, but my feet felt rooted to the ground. I couldn't look away as its eyes focused on me. The eyes were completely gray, a chilling gray as cold as the stone that had covered them minutes ago.

The grim reaper's lips parted slightly and the sound that escaped through its lips made me cringe. The laugh scraped across my skin, giving me goosebumps. A fearful shiver ran down my spine, erupting in a spasm of tingles that branched out along my back.

Those tingles, the long lost tingles that I hadn't missed one bit, reminded me of who I was and the abilities I possessed. Exhaling, I froze as a white cloud drifted up from my mouth and in front of my eyes. I watched as it slowly lifted before fading, my eyes snapping down in time to catch another white cloud of breath fading.

"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled, yanking me backwards by the arm as a scythe sliced through the air. A second later and the scythe would have sliced through my stomach.

I looked at Sasuke, his chest heaving with heavy breaths and he pulled out his katana. I mirrored him, pulling out my two katanas and snapping them together to form one.

Auntie had shown me earlier how to work the katana. With one little tug a certain way, my katana could break into two. Although I liked the idea of having two katana, I wasn't exactly sure how to work both just yet, my left hand a little shaky with the katana still.

"Keep your eyes on the target," Sasuke commanded, his eyes focused on the grim reaper as it stepped off its ledge and swung its scythe again in warning. Its eyes remained focused on me, its face formed into a hard sneer as it stepped towards me.

"You are not allowed to pass," the reaper bellowed, slamming its scythe against the ground in warning as I raised my katana.

I jumped out of the way when the grim reaper charged at me, its scythe raised over its head. I slammed my katana into its arm, stepping back and gaping at the skin as it crumbled like stone before mending itself.

It swung its arm out, catching me in the shoulder as I ducked. I heard Sasuke yelling as Naruto roared, but all sound disappeared as I stumbled backwards. My body tipped sideways, but I somehow managed to stay on my feet.

"You are not allowed to pass," the grim reaper repeated, approaching me. I tried to step back, but the stream stopped my movement. I was trapped, cornered by a stone grim reaper that couldn't be stopped.

A chill ran through me as I tried to picture the ice wrapping around its ankles, hindering its movement and rooting it to its spot. As the thought was going through my head, the water flowed past me on the ground and wrapped around the reaper's ankles. It stopped at its knees, hardening into rock hard ice.

I stared at the reaper, its eyes boring into mine. I wanted to look away, to walk past and go into the other dimension, but I knew that only the reaper could open the doorway.

"You will let us pass," I commanded, staring at the grim reaper. If he'd been mad before, I know he was going to be livid now. My thoughts were confirmed when the reaper started to hack at the ice with his scythe.

With one powerful step, he was free of the ice and approaching me again. I looked past him and saw the others running towards me. Naruto had shifted into his fox form and he was a large, orange blur as he sprinted towards me, Hinata and Sasuke right behind him.

The grim reaper stopped right in front of me and I prepared to have my head taken off. But instead of swinging for my neck with his scythe, the grim reaper kneeled in front of me with his head bowed.

Naruto slid to a stop, his head cocking to the side as he stared at the kneeling grim reaper. Sasuke stopped next to him, torn between staying there and attacking the grim reaper.

"You may pass," the grim reaper told me, standing and moving back towards its ledge in front of the arched frame. "The Chosen Guardian may pass."

"How did you—" I began, but a loud rumbling cut me off.

The grim reaper had swung its scythe into the stone inside the arched frame. Instead of the stone cracking, it shimmered, the surface rippling and crinkling.

"You may pass," the grim reaper told me again, turning and motioning with its arm for me to go into the shimmering mass of rock.

I nodded and walked up to the shimmering wall, motioning for my friends to follow as I pressed first my hand against the surface and then the rest of my arm. I couldn't describe the feeling—the warm, soothing feeling that surrounded me as my whole body submerged into the wall.

I blacked out for a moment, regaining my senses as I stared up at the afternoon sky. For a moment I wondered if it had all been a dream, but Naruto's groan from beside me made me realize that it wasn't.

The happiness overwhelmed me, the shock rendering me speechless as I sat up. We had made it. We had crossed into the other dimension.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So it's been a while! A really long while. I can't guarantee when the next update will be or how soon, but I am still writing this story and working on it. That much I know for now.


	11. Eleven

I'll save my comments for the end of the story since I know a lot of you have been waiting for this story.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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A horse as black as night pounded across a large empty field as it lead a pack of seven other horses. Their riders were shroud in black cloaks flowing behind them in the wind like smoke. Their hoods were up, obscuring their faces from the outside world, keeping their scarred, nightmarish features a mystery.

As they rode across the field they blended in with their surroundings, the moon overhead disappearing behind the dark clouds.

The eight riders stopped on the far side of the field. A red horse the color of blood stood to the right of the black horse, a white on the left, the last an ashen color which stood to the left of the white horse. Their horses pawed at the ground with their hooves, matting down the dead grass impatiently. The riders turned to each other and murmured among themselves. Their voices were low with a hard edge like nails scratching on glass and one shrieked with laughter, as mad as the rest and yet madder.

The night grew colder and darker the longer the pack stood there, the silence pervading every crevice of the area. As the riders talked, their voices carried like whispers over every surface, breaking the silence. There was pain in their voices from the centuries of haunting memories which had made them that way. The years had been hard on them in their imprisoned role as the Four Horsemen.

The Horsemen turned their steeds towards the far end of the field as a figure appeared from the fringe of trees and headed for the Horsemen. Kabuto lifted his pale hands, the nails sharp, as though he was reuniting with old friends.

"Ahh, I thought you would never arrive," he said with an eerie smile. His glasses glinted as he lowered his hood. His silver hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, drawing the skin taunt across his face.

The Horsemen's voices grew louder until it filled the field like a thousand screeching birds. Their words were foreign, but Kabuto understood every word. His head bobbed lightly as he nodded and laughter burst from between his lips, short and choppy as though it wasn't something he did daily. One of the Horsemen joined him, its laughter echoing in the silence which followed after Kabuto's had creased.

"I have come for a favor," Kabuto told them and lifted his glasses off the bridge of his nose. He cleaned them on his robe calmly as though he had no other place to be and no other task to accomplish.

"Open the Gates of Hell and bring Orochimaru back."

The Horsemen's voices rose again, but this time it was a chant. It grew as they came closer to a growing mound in the ground, their horses turning uneasy even as the monstrous beasts they were.

The stone figure rose to its full height and cracks bled into its surface, hot as molten iron. Slowly the stone fell away like broken pieces of clay.

"Orochimaru, so nice of you to join us," Kabuto greeted him, his eyes meeting Orochimaru's.

Orochimaru brushed off small stone pieces stuck to his bare skin. He reached out a hand and Kabuto quickly slid off his cloak and handed it to Orochimaru. He shrugged it on, covering his naked body, and looked at the four Horsemen.

"I owe you great thanks," Orochimaru said to them and nodded. "I hope you bring good news Kabuto?"

Kabuto nodded as he said, "That is the only kind of news I ever bring."

Orochimaru chuckled and his eyes flickered to Kabuto for a moment to signal him to continue.

"They've crossed over. They will be kept busy until you arrive."

"Wonderful." Orochimaru whistled and a gray horse galloped from the trees and stopped at his side. He got onto the horse and grabbed the reins, steering the horse towards the eight hooded figures at the edge of the field. "Unfortunately, there is one last favor I must ask of you. Join me?"

"_We shall_," the Horseman on the ashen horse declared in a voice which would have resounded in the bones of the bravest human, which could make the dead shake in their graves because it sounded like death itself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Endeka.

11.

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I could have laid there for hours taking in what we had just done, but I knew we couldn't waste time sitting there and marveling at our feat.

As though Sasuke had just read my mind, he stood and kicked Naruto's leg with his foot.

"Get up," Sasuke demanded and kicked Naruto again when he didn't get up. "We've got to keep moving."

I stood and glanced up at the sky, guessing that it was somewhere near noon here. Time must be opposite in the dimensions, not that I was complaining or anything. Being able to see clearly was far better than being in the pitch dark with no idea of where we were.

Hinata got to her feet and stood over Naruto, urging him to stand.

"Can't we just lay here for moment and enjoy this?" Naruto groaned as he sat up. "We made it guys, and we didn't need to sacrifice anyone to do it!"

I gave him a funny look. "What sacrifice?"

Naruto shrugged and looked up at me, his eyes seemingly bluer under the cloudless sky. "I just assumed we would need to do something special to get through and the only thing that came to mind was a sacrifice." After much huffing and sighing, Naruto finally got to his feet. "And here I was, all sad because I thought Sasuke was going to die so we could get through."

"You're at the top of our kill list," Sasuke retorted as looked around, taking in his surroundings. "Dead last."

Naruto charged at him, trying to tackle him. "I thought you had grown out of that nickname you jackass!"

Sasuke sidestepped him but didn't expect the elbow which got him in the back. He turned just in time and grabbed Naruto's wrist as he went to smack him upside the head. "Try that again, I dare you."

"Is that an offer?"

As they continued to verbally attack and smack each other in the head, I surveyed our surroundings. The surrounding forest seemed the same, the clearing carpeted in grass as green as ours in the other dimension. The only difference was the trees. They loomed over us like skyscrapers, safe from the dangers of expansion in our dimension.

On the far side of the clearing are three trees with leaves that appear white in the sunlight. The middle tree is thicker than the other two and its bark is a golden brown, twisting in a circle towards the sky. The other two trees are slender and curve. There are two holes on each at the same height, and when I squint it seemed as though there was something glassy in the holes.

I looked away because I didn't want to think about the idea of the trees having eyes. The thought freaked me out and I feared that all the trees have eyes and are watching our every move.

Naruto shrieked and I turn in time to see him duck out of Sasuke's reach. I shook my head and pulled my backpack off to get out the map Auntie had given us. It was old, worn at the edges with creases and wrinkles in the paper from so much use.

"Okay, so there should be a path to the Northeast which will lead us to the village Auntie Tsunade told us about. Once there, we need to find the town leader and give them her letter with the official seal on it." Sakura glared at Naruto when he started swatting at the air. "Naruto, listen."

Naruto's arms dropped. "This fly is trying to rape me, I swear."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and elbowed Naruto sharply.

All of a sudden, Hinata's eyes rolled back into her head as she fell sideways. Naruto grabbed onto her arm at the last moment and gently lowered her to the ground.

"Hinata?" he shook her lightly before he fell silent. I had never seen him this quiet, this patient before and it both impressed and shocked me.

We all waited for her to come back and when she did, her eyes were wide.

"We're going to run into a trap," she said through barely parted lips.

"What?" I asked and hoped she was not about to say what I thought she was about to say.

"Someone knew we were coming," Hinata explained as she got to her feet. "They're waiting for us. The path is a trap. We can't go on it."

Sasuke ran a hand roughly through his hair and sighed. "Then we'll have to avoid the path. Simple as that."

I looked down at the map and tried to gauge how far it would take to get to the village. "That's not the problem. Whoever they are, they're not stupid. They figured out we were coming and we don't know if the path is the only trap. We're in foreign territory," I said frustratingly and fought the urge to crumple up the map in my hand.

No one responded when all I wanted were answers, but I knew they couldn't give them to me. They were just as lost as I was and yet here we were, taking on a mission far greater than any of us could have dreamed of and everyone was expecting us to succeed. No pressure or anything, right?

Sasuke slid the map from between my tense fingers and looked at it. He pulled out a compass from a side pocket on his backpack and turned until he found north.

"If we find the path we can walk along side it at a distance," Sasuke concluded as he folded the map up and stuffed it in his pocket. "We'll have to be careful though. Everyone will need to keep an eye out so we should prepare now so we don't have to stop later."

I nodded and took off my backpack, carefully pulling out the armor. I walked off a little ways behind some of the trees and changed, reveling in how smooth and movable the leather pants were. I had thought it would be stiff and uncomfortable, but it felt like I was wearing something made of liquid. I slid on the chest piece which was a bunch of tiny pieces of material sewn together into one piece so I could move easier. The front piece covered my chest and stomach and was made of metal with minuscule swirls which looked like waves carved into it with dark blue metal in the center of each curve. The sides were a hard leather which became thinner as it went down my arms towards my wrists. The back and shoulders was made of the same metal as the chest piece, but didn't hinder my movement. Lastly, I slid on the leather boots over my socks, wondering how they did it centuries ago without socks. I redid my pony tail, making sure it was tight enough and then walked back into the clearing.

After I stuffed my clothes into my backpack, I stood and waited for everyone else to come back. Hinata appeared first, her hair tied back. She walked over to her backpack and quickly shoved her folded clothes in, her face red. She had on the same thing as me, the same leather and boots, but the metal was different. It had swirls too, but they didn't look like waves. At first I couldn't figure out what it was, but the horizontal curves reminded me of wind made out of silver specs.

The sound of branches breaking caught my attention and I looked up. I watched as Naruto stumbled into the clearing, his hands holding the clothes carelessly. His armor had light colored leather and circles which looped all throughout the metal with small gold flecks. The circles overlapped like a thousand splendid suns just coming over the horizon and when he turned, the gold caught the light and shined as bright as the sun itself.

Sasuke came up to me from out of nowhere and held out the map. I took it and put it in my boot, looking at him from the corner of my eye as he went over to his backpack and knelt down over it. The leather on his armor was a pure black, matching his hair and eyes perfectly. The back metal plate of his armor at first seemed to be on fire, the red pieces so vibrant in the rays of light that they resembled flames. As he stood, the red dimmed down and I saw that the carvings were jagged, mirroring a real inferno.

He looked different than in my dreams and part of me was relieved. If things started happening like before, would the bad things happen also, like my death?

The thought jolted my heart into a beating mess and I inhaled deeply to calm down. I had never thought about what it would feel like to die or if I was scared of death and my life being over, but now, it was constantly in the forefront of my mind. Now that there was a likely chance of me dying, even with all of my friends around, it terrified me and made the hair on my arms stand on end.

"Should we leave our bags here?" Hinata asked as she strapped her katana to her back. She bent down and stuffed a dagger in a leather pocket in her boot.

"We might as well," I said and picked my pack up. "Everything we need we're wearing."

I searched for a place to put it and settled on a hole beneath some gnarled roots. I knelt down and dug out the leaves and sticks in it before I placed my bag in it. I piled dirt around it so no one could find it and hoped I would remember where it I put it when I come back to the portal…if I come back.

"Stop it," I scolded myself and turned, heading back into the clearing. I checked to make sure the map was in my boot, then felt for the weight of the locket under my armor. I secured my armor and reached over my right shoulder, then my left, making sure I had my katanas. The leather hilts sent a jolt of calm through me. I was not completely unprepared for this journey. I could fight, had been fighting for years, and those skills would help me when nothing else could. And then I remembered the powers I had and how dangerous they could be, if I could get them to work.

Before I could contemplate that thought, Sasuke came back into the clearing. He looked at me, his gaze penetrating my armor and my skin and making me feel like even my mind was unsafe.

"Are you ready?" I asked him, breaking the silence and hoping he would look away. He didn't and nodded, his eyes focused on the katana hilts over my shoulders. He had two katanas also, but the leather was darker, almost black like the leather on his armor.

"Are you?" he asked quietly as he walked closer.

I tried to breathe normally, to ignore the harsh beating of my heart and jolt in my stomach, as I responded, "As ready as I'll ever be."

"You're barely ready," he told me with a deep frown. "We've been training for this for years, since we were kids. You've only had a couple of months of training—"

I glared at him and felt my fists clench in anger. "My father taught me how to fight Sasuke so don't pretend like you know me. I've been fighting just as long as you have."

Sasuke went to grab my arm as I turned away from him, but I shrugged it off. I expected him to try again, to use more force, but he stayed back. I glanced up from the ground and saw Hinata and Naruto walking towards us and wondered what Sasuke would have done if they had not been there. I quickly erased the emotions off my face before they could see them.

"We should get going," I told them and lead the way into the forest, ignoring Sasuke. His words hurt because it felt like he thought I was weak and that he was a better fighter than I was. If I remembered correctly, I had beaten him in a spar, but he had probably erased that from his mind because he liked to win. He always had to be on top.

We trekked through the woods at a steady pace. Hinata walked behind me, then Naruto, then Sasuke. As we walked, I felt my anger fade until there was a steady calmness in me. I took in my surroundings and kept waiting to find something different like trees that light up or birds that talk, but this dimension was exactly like ours.

A wind played softly with wisps of my hair and I was grateful for the breeze. I was starting to get hot walking in all of this leather, even in the shade, and I could feel the sweat gathering on my skin.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw that everyone else looked a little worn down too.

"Maybe we should stop and rest for a while?" I asked them as I stopped.

Hinata wiped the skin above her lip but did not say anything. Naruto dragged a hand through his blonde hair and shrugged before saying, "We could stop now and then when we found the path we could continue up it at a faster pace until we found the village."

I looked at Sasuke who was leaning against a tree, his arms crossed as he took in what everyone was saying. Finally, he nodded once, his eyes finding mine.

"Okay then, let's rest."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Sasuke asked quietly from above me.

I kept my eyes closed and pretended like I was really sleeping. I did not feel like dealing with this right now when we were about to set off for the path and whatever dangers lay there. Who knew what he would say? If it was something harsh and blunt, I would be angry and would make brash decisions. If it was coded with hidden meanings, I would be sidetracked trying to figure out what he really meant.

He sighed and walked back to his spot, sitting against a tree the size of three men side-by-side.

Hinata was sitting on a log with a faraway look in her eyes, her thoughts having taken over. Naruto lay a few feet away from her, his eyes closed and his chest rising and falling slowly as sleep overtook him.

I was amazed at how fast Naruto could fall asleep. It was almost as if he could will himself to sleep whenever he felt like it. I had even seen him sleeping in class a couple of times.

I frowned as I thought of class at the University. It seemed so far away and like it had been forever ago since I was last sitting in one of the lecture halls listening to a Professor talk about calculus and the biology of pigs and the history of the American Revolution. And yet somehow I had gone from being a normal college student to a girl who could control water and who was supposed to end a war.

With a sad smile I sat up and looked at Naruto first, then Hinata, then Sasuke. "I think we should get going guys," I told them as I stood, brushing off my backside.

"Dang, I was just getting to the good part in my dream," Naruto exclaimed as he bounded to his feet, a leaf stuck in his hair near his ear. No one bothered to tell him.

Hinata smiled at him and got to her feet. Sasuke followed suit as he strapped his katanas to his back, a frown on his lips. He seemed to frown so much I wondered if it was permanent sometimes.

We set off at a steady pace. Everyone was silent and part of me was grateful because then I could think about things I had not had time lately to ponder. I reminisced about the past, about how it had been when my parents were still alive. Everything had been easy as a child. The weight on my shoulders had been which ice cream I wanted from the ice cream man because I was never sure when he would come back down our street.

"I think that's the path," Hinata stated and we all stopped and looked. We were on a hill overlooking the path which was just a narrow dirt road where the trees had been cleared.

"It looks harmless and a lot easier to walk on than freestylin' it," Naruto said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. It felt as though it had gotten hotter even though our surroundings had become darker from the shade. I looked around, suddenly noticing how dim everything was. The shadows loomed closer and became darker by the minute. I glanced up at the sky and searched for the clouds but found nothing but an unmarred blue plain.

"Something's off," I told them as my eyes roamed out surroundings. They stood in front of me, waiting for me to explain. I bit my lip, unsure of what it could possibly be, but knowing the sick feeling in my gut was not just nerves, but instinct.

"What?" Sasuke asked and I looked at him as I tried to find the words to express this gut feeling. My eyebrows creased.

Suddenly, there was a glint over Sasuke's right shoulder.

"Get down!" I screamed as I reached over my shoulder and pulled out my right hand katana. Sasuke dropped to one knee as the silver dagger flew over him and became buried deep in the bark of a tree.

Hinata screamed as her feet were pulled out from beneath her, a vine wrapped tightly around her ankle. It started to pull her away from us and Naruto shouted, reaching for her. Quickly, Hinata pulled out the dagger from her boot and slashed at the vine. It fell away from her ankle and Naruto pulled her to her feet and they rejoined us with their katanas out and ready.

A silver dagger flew at me from the side and I deflected it with my katana. I felt my heart beat pick up as adrenaline coursed through my veins, the danger evident and setting off warning bells in my mind.

"I don't understand," Hinata whispered beside me, her eyes wide and her face pale. "I didn't see it coming. I _always_ see it coming."

"We did our research," Ami said as she appeared from behind a tree. "We knew you had a fortune teller with you so we set up that first trap so you would walk into our other one."

I gritted my teeth and suddenly felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another figure appear and I turned, taking in the black hair and blue eyes. What caught my eye though was the way the shadows crept up her legs and arms. It looked as though the shadows were strings attached to her fingers, like she was the puppet master and the shadows were the puppets. She caught my eye and grinned darkly.

I turned to face her and saw another figure out of the corner of my eye. She had light brown hair and even lighter brown eyes, her skin fair. If I had seen her in a crowd I would have never noticed her or even remembered what she looked like, her features being that normal.

_We're surrounded_, I whispered to myself in my head and tightened my hold on my katana.

"What do you want with us?" Naruto asked and growled under his breath as another figure appeared from the trees. She looked exactly the same as the girl I was facing, except her eyes were a rich green like the leaves in the trees overhead. A vine was wrapped around her right arm.

Ami's cold, amused eyes found me and I did not need an answer to know. They wanted me. They were the Satanists my Auntie had briefly mentioned a couple of times.

"You're not taking her," Sasuke told them icily, his eyes narrowing as Ami's laughed. It felt as though it filled every crevice and space and I cringed.

"Watch me," Ami snapped back airily and a stream of silver snaked down her arm and into her hand. It materialized into a sword with a jagged edge. "Luna, if you will?"

Sasuke settled on the balls of his feet and sprinted forward. I inhaled sharply as Ami stepped to the side, the girl with the black hair and blue eyes appearing out of the shadows behind her and rising a katana to meet his. The katanas locked and black smoke came down the girl's blade and up Sasuke's. He pulled back before it could reach his fingertips and a lighter appeared in his hand.

Naruto growled and charged, his footsteps feather light and the whiskers dark on his cheeks. The brown haired girl slammed into his side, knocking him off balance and into a tree. He stood and squared his shoulders, his opponent chosen.

I turned to Hinata, but she was already moving, her katana blocking the double daggers in the black hair, green eyed girl's hands.

My eyes widened and I turned in time to see Ami charging at me. I raised my katana and blocked the edge, feeling my katana lock with hers. I shoved my katana against hers with all my might and she stumbled back. Seeing the opening, I kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying backwards. She fell onto her back and slid.

I glanced over my shoulder and took in Hinata's angry face, Naruto's bloody lip, and Sasuke's flaming katana. They appeared farther than I had thought and I could already see how successful our enemies were at splitting us up. Relieved that none of them were seriously injured, I turned back to Ami. She was getting to her feet, one hand on her stomach.

"That actually kind of hurt," she mocked and sneered at me, spitting out blood. She wiped her mouth before she wrapped both hands around the hilt of her katana and formed it into a chain.

I opted to not respond and firmly planted my feet. She came at me, the chain swinging high over her head, and I ducked as it came at my face. I jabbed at her stomach with my katana, but the chain wrapped around the blade and pulled, jerking me forward. I felt her hand meet my cheek, but did not feel the pain at first, Slowly it started to throb. I did not let go of my katana and she clutched at my neck with strong fingers, choking me. I tried to pull out of her grip but her hold on me remained firm and slowly the need to breathe became more desperate.

I pulled my katana back as far as it could and pushed it forward. The chains around it melted away as my katana struck something soft. The fingers around my neck disappeared and I opened my eyes, forgetting when I had closed them.

"You bitch," Ami stammered as she stumbled backwards. I pulled the katana out of her stomach, the blade stained crimson. "But not good enough. You can't kill me. No one with powers can kill me, not when I am made from the clay and rock of Hell—"

I watched as her eyes widened and her fingers felt the wound. The bleeding continued and her eyes rose and met mine in shock.

"You're…_the Chosen Guardian_."

She fell to her knees as a light erupted from her wound. It seemed to spread inside of her for her skin started to glow and when her lips parted in pain light shone from between her teeth.

"No, no, no, I can't go back," Ami screeched as the dirt started to come up around her and pull at her, sprouting thorns which tore at her clothes and skin. She fell forward and the ground under her split, drawing her in. She clawed at the ground, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Please, don't send me back. I'll help you. You can beat him alone! YOU CAN'T," Ami screamed and then she was gone, the ground coming back together as though it had never even separated.

I stood shakily and turned, sheathing my katana. Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke were nowhere to be found and I wondered how we became so separated. Silently, I hoped none of them were dead. With that thought, I set out find them.

A shock of blonde hair caught the corner of my eye and I spotted Naruto. He ran forward and slashed at the brown haired girl who disappeared in a puff of smoke, a thick log in her place.

"Dammit, stop hiding you coward!" Naruto roared and turned slowly in a circle. "Fight me, Naziki!"

His eyes met mine as he faced me.

"Hold her down," I mouthed to him. "I'll finish her."

He nodded and closed his eyes, waiting.

Naziki dropped from a tree to his right, her katana aimed at his heart. He moved at the last moment, his left hand reaching out and grabbing her wrist. She cried out as he swung her around and grabbed her other arm, holding her still. She struggled and eyed her katana on the ground.

I walked up to her and she glared at me before it dawned on her.

"Where's Ami?" her eyes widened in fear. "No, NO! I can help you! They can't save you!"

I bit my lip hard and pressed my katana into her stomach, looking past her into Naruto's eyes. I could not look down at what I was doing.

Naziki screamed and I pulled the katana out. Naruto let go of her and we both watched as she dropped to the ground. Once again the dirt rose up around her and the ground parted, pulling her into the depths of Hell.

"How did you do that?" Naruto asked in amazement.

"I honestly don't know," I replied. "Ami mentioned something about being the Chosen Guardian."

"Maybe you can open the Gates of Hell?"

We heard a yell and looked at each other before running to find it. We found Hinata and Naruto sprinted forward at the sight before us.

The green eyed girl's arm was wrapped around Hinata's neck, her dagger poised at her chest. Hinata grunted and flipped her katana backwards in her hand and stabbed it backwards into the girl's thigh. She stumbled forward when the girl released her and swung her katana at the girl, catching her in the side and sending her to the ground.

Hinata stood over her like a lighthouse covered in vines.

"Sakura, quick!" Naruto demanded as he kicked the dagger away from the girl. Hinata knelt next to the girl and held her down.

I knelt on the other side of the girl and unsheathed my katana. I raised it over my head and at that moment I felt like a savage. Up until this point I had not understood what it meant to kill or be killed.

"I'm sorry Kudza," Hinata whispered before I brought my katana down, the sharp tip burying into her chest easily. She screamed as the dirt came up around her, pulling her into the crack in the ground like it was quicksand.

Hinata did not move for a moment, her face hard and emotionless. Naruto grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet gently, pulling her to his chest in a hug.

"I've never had to kill anyone before," she muttered into his armor, her forehead pressed against his neck.

"None of us have had to," he replied solemnly. "Although I have wanted to kill people many times for taking my ramen."

Hinata giggled and pulled away. She turned to me suddenly with a worried look.

"Sasuke…"

My eyes widened and I darted off to find him, Hinata and Naruto hot on my heels. We came upon a small opening void of trees, the edges shroud in darkness. In the center stood Sasuke, the blade of his katana still lit in fire.

"Sakura, no!" Naruto shouted as I continued running. I slashed at the shadows and it parted like gauze, letting me pass, before it sealed back up. Naruto tried to follow, swiping at the shadows with his katana, but it would not let him pass. He stood on the outside and cursed at the shadows and the girl who was giggling from somewhere in the darkness.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder as I turned my back to him, protecting his blind side.

"You shouldn't be here," he told me and I brushed off his words as though they were water. "Luna is dangerous."

"And Ami wasn't?" I countered and pulled out my left hand katana, wielding both. Luna appeared from the shadows and slashed at me, but I blocked and stabbed at her neck. She dodged out of the way and backed up into the shadows, disappearing.

Sasuke grunted as Luna came at him, going for his knees. His katana caught hers and slid it out of the way, his fist connecting with her shoulder. She glared at him and backed up into the shadows.

"Got any plans?" he asked and for a moment I was surprised that he was asking for my help, but I shook it off. Now was not the time for useless thoughts.

"When she comes at you, move out of the way."

"But she'll hit you."

"Trust me," I told him and I did not have to look at him to know he had nodded.

We both waited for her to appear and when she did, it was on Sasuke's side. I turned around and raised my katanas, ready. Sasuke did not hesitate in dodging out of the way and I thrust my katanas forward.

Luna's katana dug into my shoulder, but I ignored the sharp pain and warm blood running down my shoulder and pierced her chest. I pressed them as deep as they would go. She gasped and pulled back, the katana sliding out of my shoulder and falling to the ground.

Slowly the shadows dispersed and the sun shone through, blinding me for a moment. Naruto and Hinata came up behind Sasuke, watching. I sheathed my katanas and stood, standing next to Sasuke.

Luna fell to the ground, her hands clutching at her chest as though she were trying to keep the blood in. She looked up, her eyes staring unseeingly at me. Slowly, a smile crept to her face.

"I succeeded," she murmured as her eyes cleared and she looked at me. Her smile grew. "You're done for, blossom."

I stared at her as a growing dread filled me. I had heard that name before, from a girl with silver hair and black eyes who could read minds.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked her calmly, his nostrils flaring in anger when she did not respond. "Tell us!"

But it was already too late. The dirt was already dragging her under, pulling at her like greedy hands.

"You're hurt," Sasuke informed me and I glanced down at my shoulder. I could feel the pain, but it barely hurt. It felt like a paper cut and I reached up to touch the wound. My fingers came back covered in red, but when I pressed on the wound it merely stung. I probed the hole in the leather and felt the skin, my fingers shaking when all I found was smooth skin.

"It's gone," I told him, still feeling for the wound. "It's not there, but I know I got stabbed. There's enough blood to prove that."

I looked up and stepped backwards. My heart jerked in fear and my hand reached for my katana.

Before us stood a man with long black hair and snake-like eyes. His pale skin appeared even whiter in the sunlight. He grinned at me, his eyes never straying to the others.

"It's been a while, blossom," he greeted me, his black robe billowing around him as the wind suddenly picked up.

Sasuke grabbed my arm and jerked me behind him. His eyes flickered to me as emotions swirled in them.

"Run," he demanded, reaching behind himself and pushing at my shoulder gently.

"What? And leave you guys here with this creep? No!" I told him and stood my ground.

"Sakura, you have to. He is the reason we have been training for so long. He is behind all of this. He _is_ the enemy. The others were his minions. Please, listen to me. You have to get to that town," Sasuke pleaded, his shoulders tense.

I looked at Hinata. She smiled at me and nodded. My eyes found Naruto and he winked at me and I knew he was trying to tell me they would be all right.

Sasuke's hand found mine. He squeezed it and for the first time I realized Sasuke might actually be afraid. I sheathed my katana with one final decision.

And with that realization I turned and ran. The trees passed by in a blur and I forced myself to keep running, even when I heard the screech of horses in the distance, back where Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata were. A sick feeling settled in my stomach, but I kept running even when I felt like I was betraying my friends because this was what they has asked me to do, they has asked me to leave them behind and save myself.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I stood in the middle of the clearing, my chest heaving from running. The surrounding forest was silent, giving off an eerie feeling. Desperately, I wanted to run back to my friends and help them, but Sasuke's words resounded in my head.

The hairs on my neck stood up, an uneasy feeling forming in my stomach. Long ago I had learned to trust my instincts, and countless times they'd saved me when nothing else had.

The grass shifted before a snake started to slither up my leg. I forced my muscles to freeze as I tried not to move. Any movement might cause it to bite me, and snake bites were always the nastiest.

The snake continued to slither up my leg as I slowly drew one of my katanas. In a quick movement, the snake was headless and on the ground in a dead heap.

Just like the last, four more snakes came out of the grass and tried to slither up my legs. With a flick of my katana the snakes were also dead on the ground.

My hair continued to stand at end. What was going on? It was unlikely that all these snakes lived in one place, just waiting for a prey that was too big for them to handle.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't kill my snakes," I turned around in time to dodge a blow aimed right at my stomach. "And I'd prefer it if you came easily with me instead of making me bruise you up first, blossom."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I told Orochimaru firmly, my katana poised and ready to defend myself and all of the people I was fighting for in this war.

Orochimaru chuckled under his breath and pulled at the hilt over his right shoulder. His katana slid free and he pointed it at me. "Last chance."

I pulled out my katana and steadied my feet. I cleared my mind and waited.

Orochimaru shrugged. "You'll regret it." He ran at me, his katana poised to slice me in half.

I slid my feet a foot sideways and felt the edge of his katana fly past my arm. He was so close I could see the waxy parlor of his skin and I swung at his side quickly. His katana met mine and we locked in both blades and eyes.

"Give up, Chosen Guardian," Orochimaru told me as he applied more pressure to his katana. "Tell me where it is. Where is the _Holy Grail_?"

"I don't know where it is," I answered and felt my arms start to shake from the strain. "And if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

Orochimaru yelled and pulled his katana back, his eyes wild and ferocious. He swung at me roughly and I ducked out of the way, raising my katana in time to counter his second attack. I stumbled backwards and grunted when he backhanded me. One of his rings tore into my skin and I could feel the blood rolling down my cheek and taste the metallic in my mouth.

I wiped at my cheek and watched Orochimaru carefully, waiting for his next attack. His eyes roamed my face, searching for weakness or fear, and froze on my cheek. A grin slowly came to his face, growing with each passing second until I thought it would crack his face in half.

I reached up and felt my cheek. My heart lurched when my fingers found only smooth skin. There was no trace of the cut from his ring except for the blood drying on my cheek.

"All this time it was right in front of me," he remarked as he stepped closer.

Suddenly, everything clicked in my mind. I took a step back and then turned, running for the forest as fast as I could. I made it to the tree line, but skidded to a halt when the girl with silver hair and black eyes emerged from behind a tree.

She stared at me, her face emotionless and I knew she was reading my mind, predicting everything I would do.

I focused on clearing my mind and glanced over my shoulder. Orochimaru had not moved and his eyes watched her closely, a smirk on his face. I turned back around to face the girl.

"Move," I demanded and raised my katana. I did not want to hurt her, but I would do what I had to do to get to that town.

The girl raised an eyebrow at me. "You will not kill me."

I tensed and rocked forward onto the balls of my feet. I was just about to attack her when a sharp pain tore through my mind. As I fell to my knees, I looked up at the girl and knew she was the one doing this. Mentally, I tried to build a shield to keep her out of my mind. It worked for a couple of seconds, the pain fading instantly, but then shield crumbled as my mind grew tired.

"See?" she mocked me, stepping closer until she was standing over me. In her hand was a dagger and I wondered if she was going to kill me.

"Don't worry, you'll live for a little while longer," she responded to my thoughts. "But after that…"

It felt like there were a thousand needles stabbing at my skull and I dropped my katana so I could clutch my head. My forehead pressed against the ground, the grass cool against my heated skin, but the pain would not go away.

A shadow covered me and I saw Orochimaru loom over me. He nodded to the girl.

The pain spiked higher and I fell to my side. I wanted to tear my mind out and make it stop. And finally, like a bittersweet haven, the world spun dizzily and then faded, leaving me falling in pitch blackness.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I am sad to say that this story will be coming to a close soon. There will probably be two to three more chapters and then that will be the end of Sangreal. It has been a good story to start with on here and learn from, especially when it comes to grammer and proper English, but I think it's time I do other stories. As much as I love this story, I'm ready for something new. Of course, I'll stay with Sasuke and Sakura, but I have other ideas I would like to work on.

So I spent all last night and this morning trying to finish this and proofread it—yes, I actually proofread it!—and get it up. Hopefully everyone likes it because I spent a lot of time on it.

Check out Gravity Happens, a story about Camille and Moose from Step Up 3. They're so cute and I really want this pairing to grow hence this advertisement. :D


	12. Twelve

I just want to thank all the readers that still follow this story and still have some faith in me. I've been dragging for years to finish this story and I'm _so close_ to being done and I can't say I'll miss this story because I know my writing style, interests, and priorities have changed and this story doesn't sit as close to my heart as it used to. But I still love writing and I refuse to not finish what I started so here is another chapter.

I apologize for the roughness of it and the different writing style. As I mentioned above, my interests are different and there are other things I would rather be writing but this is my first FF story and I would like to see it completed and give my readers a reason for sticking around for so long when they had every reason to give up on me years ago.

So thank you once again for your support.

Warning: There is torture in this chapter so be warned. It isn't anything too bad, but if you are squeamish then I'd advise skipping those parts to be safe.

Regular

_Thoughts_

"Talking"

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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_Enjoy_

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"Sasuke! Slow down," Naruto called from a distance back. "We need to stick together!" Hinata struggled to keep up.

"Then _hurry_ the fuck up," Sasuke roared without slowing down. Nervous sweat trickled down his back and his stomach twisted in worry. He could hear screeches echoing between the spaces of the trees, growing closer.

He wasn't sure where he was going. Leaping over a fallen tree, he tried to keep his path straight, knowing Sakura would run straight until she was sure she was safe, going on pure instinct. Then she would stop and plan out how to get to the village.

The pounding of hooves grew closer and he pulled out his lighter, readying himself for the fight even though all he wanted to do was find Sakura. Rationality won over his impatience.

Slowing, Sasuke spotted a clearing to his right. Heading for it, he stopped in the middle and waited, his fingers flipping the cap of the lighter open and then snapping it closed. His eyes scanned the towering trees for Naruto and Hinata frantically.

After a minute they broke through, sprinting for him. Naruto shouted, "Create a wall, Sasuke! CREATE A WALL."

Sasuke's thumb slid over the lighter's wheel. It created a small flame that flickered in the growing wind and then an explosion shook the clearing. A wall of fire started to form, the trees smoking and ablaze, and soon the clearing was encased in a ring of fire.

A line of black horses appeared on the other side of the fire, blurred and sometimes blocked by the black smoke. Eight horsemen sat atop the horses, their faces covered by hoods of wispy black. They disappeared into the shadows, but the tenseness of the air remained.

"It's not going to hold them for long," Naruto voiced and, without looking away from where they had been, he pulled his katana from his shoulder strap. With white knuckles, he closed his eyes and three black lines appeared on both cheeks. When he opened his eyes, the blue had been replaced by red.

Hinata unsheathed her katana, her chest heaving. She twisted around when she heard a horse screech. With wide eyes, she elbowed Sasuke and he glanced around to find the horsemen surrounding them on all sides.

The wind picked up, forcing Hinata to swipe at pieces of hair sticking to the corners of her eyes and mouth. The ring of fire slowly fell.

"Sasuke, it's falling," Naruto said, taking a defensive stance.

"We have to face them sooner or later," Sasuke replied and flipped open his lighter, setting his katana blade ablaze. His heart pounded so hard he could feel it in his throat and he couldn't tell if it was from adrenaline or fear of failing and letting Sakura die.

"Fine," Naruto growled as the first horseman broke through the fire barrier. Once it stepped through, they all followed, gaining speed as they pulled different weapons-scythes, swords, spears, flails, and maces-from their cloaks, each completely ink black.

"Shit, shit, shit." Naruto cut his gaze to Sasuke. "Like old times?"

"Like old times, dead last," Sasuke agreed and charged. Naruto and Hinata following suit, running in different directions.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

δώδεκα.

12.

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"Time to wake up, blossom."

Someone slapped my cheek, softly at first, then harder when I took too long in opening my eyes. I tried to move, but found my wrists and ankles tied to a chair. Part of me wanted to struggle to get free in whatever way possible, but I knew panic would get me nowhere.

A searing heat clawed at my front and I opened my eyes to a blazing fireplace a mere four feet from me. It burned against my skin like a whip and I groaned, pushing against the floor with my toes to try and scoot the chair back. It didn't move and someone chuckled behind me.

I turned my head as far as I could and jumped when I found Orochimaru looming over me, his eyes glinting.

"Do you feel it?" he asked, tracing his finger lightly along my shoulder blade before inching my chair closer to the fire.

I closed my eyes at the heat licked my skin and found my mouth dry as sand when I went to respond. My throat burned with the effort and need for water as I barely managed to croak "feel what?"

"Your helplessness," he answered and came to crouch at my side, unaffected by the flames. "Would you like some water, my dear?"

I knew he was lying. He wouldn't give me water. So I focused on the ground, tracing the cracks with my eyes.

"And here I was going to give it to you with minimal begging," he whispered, running his knuckles down my jaw. I pulled away, but could only go so far.

"Don't touch me." I looked at him out of the corner of my eye.

He smirked. "How else am I going to waste time?"

I didn't take the bait even though I knew I would regret it.

The carefree, amused look on his face melted away, revealing angry eyes and hard lines. His palm connected with my cheek.

"I hope you enjoy your last day as a spitfire," he growled, pulling a red hot bar of metal out of the fire, holding it towards me threateningly.

"You won't get whatever the hell you want from me." I glared at him, but knew it was all an act. My voice rose as he drew the metal closer to my skin. "You won't get it. YOU WON'T GET IT."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sasuke fell to one knee, clutching at his shoulder, blood coloring the creases of his fingers scarlet.

"Get up," Naruto urged although Sasuke wasn't sure if he was talking to because he was also on his knees. After a moment they both rose.

Hinata shouted as a sword cut her in the thigh, but she hacked and swung until the horseman backed away.

"It's endless," she whispered between heavy breathes, wiping blood and sweat from her brow. "We can't kill them, not without Sakura."

"Well she's not here so we need to find another way," Sasuke said, barely mustering up enough energy to engulf a horseman's feet in fire. Another attacked him from behind, catching him in the bicep as he twisted out of the way, raising his sword just in time to block a blow to his neck.

A kick sent him flying back and he pushed himself onto his hands and knees, the image of Sakura forcing him to his feet unsteadily.

"Watch out," Naruto shouted and tried to break his sword out of its lock with a horseman's but couldn't without being hit in the chest by its blade.

Sasuke ducked away from an axe, searching for his sword in the dim moonlight. Unable to find it, he pulled out a dagger from his boot and stood his ground, glaring at the horseman who started to screech lightly in amusement.

Growling in frustration and exhaustion, Sasuke charged at him, sinking his dagger into the horseman's chest. When the horseman didn't move to counterattack, Sasuke backed up and followed his upturned head.

What he found made his heart jerk in hope and fear for four streaks of white light were approaching them fast. Naruto and Hinata moved towards Sasuke, Naruto picking up Sasuke's sword from the ground on the way, until they were back to back.

A rumbling noise reached his ears and grew louder the closer the light got until he felt it shaking the ground. The clearing exploded in a wash of light as the streaks slowed and landed, each in a shallow crater. White smoke curled up and out stepped four figures in shining armor that covered shining skin.

Their wings, each with feathers the color of their hair, caught his attention and he watched as they disappeared in a glow of dim light. They each drew gleaming swords with silver blades lined with golden ruins.

Before Sasuke could blink, they each moved in different directions. One shouted, "Once our blades touch their skin, they are susceptible to your attacks."

With that, the clearing erupted in swordfight, metal ringing upon metal as the horsemen fell one by one.

When the last horseman fell at the tip of Hinata's sword, the four strangers approached Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata who watched them with their swords drawn.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked, eyeing them wearily and ignoring how tired his body felt.

"We're the Guardians, sworn to protect and help the Chosen One," the one with white eyes exactly like Hinata's answered, his sword also drawn in defense. "And who are you?"

"We're friends of the Chosen One," Naruto replied, the first to sheath his sword, Hinata and the rest doing the same, Sasuke and the white eyed man putting theirs away last with hesitation. "And also her Guardians. We're from the other side."

"No way," a blond haired girl whispered with wide, excited eyes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The tinge of iron in my mouth drew my fingers to my lips. I felt my split lip tenderly and then struggled to get to my feet, falling onto my bruised back when Orochimaru kicked me in the ribs.

"I'll never give it to you," I muttered brokenly, rolling away from him onto my left side and trying to curl into a ball. Tears slid sideways down my face when I heard Orochimaru step closer.

Helplessness was exactly how I felt at this moment, along with anger and fear. I didn't know how to make it stop, how to defend myself, how to get out of here. I didn't even know where I was or what lied beyond this room.

Another kick to my back sent me skidding across the stone floor. I lowered my cheek, letting the cool surface ease some of the pain, and tried to talk myself into unconsciousness.

A sharp gasp caught my attention and I winced when I felt Orochimaru's hand on my back, his fingers trailing the tattoos I had all but forgotten about until he decided to overlay then with burns.

"They're gone," he murmured with amusement and then yanked me onto my back so that he could examine my bloody and bruised face. A knife flashed in his hand, cutting into my forearm so deep it made me cry out for it to stop. With greedy eyes he watched as the wound closed.

I had become his toy for his sick entertainment and there was nothing I could do but try and hold my tongue to keep from satisfying him. When I did this he would dig deeper into my flesh until I swore he was hitting bone, scraping past it and coming out on the other side.

It felt like hours as he repeated this over and over until I swear he had carved and let heal every millimeter of my body. My mouth grew dry, my throat on fire, and I stopped screaming long before he was finished.

When he had decided he was through, he sprang to his feet, screaming for someone I didn't recognize.

"All this time I had thought it was some little cup of gold, but how could I not see?" He circled me with fascination, dragging the blunt edge of the knife across my skin. "All this time...it was you, my little precious blossom, who held the powers that every man once roamed the Earth looking for, once circled the globe looking for, the Holy Grail."

With a flick of his wrist he let the sharp side nick my shoulder. Right before he pressed his lips to the wound, he muttered, "What better way to guard it than with your own body?"

I tried to twist away from his mouth, to head butt him, to do anything to make him stop, but he held me by the arms. It was worse than him cutting me up. I felt violated and dirty and wanted to tear the skin he had touched with him tongue off and throw it in the fire.

A man appeared, completely devoid of hair on his entire body. Instead, small markings, burned into his skin, covered his entire body. Orochimaru and he gathered near the door while I got to my feet, feeling my powers come back slowly the further I got from the fire.

"Her powers and the Grail are intertwined," I heard the man murmur. "If you take her powers, the Grail should detach from her as well. It's going to cling to whatever it thinks will keep it safest."

I tried to gather any water I could, but ended up feeling lightheaded for this room and whatever lay beyond was as dry as a desert.

Orochimaru glanced at me over his shoulder and 'tsked'. "I made this room specifically for you, blossom. Your only chance of escape is if I let you escape."

Then he hauled me up by the arm and dragged me out of the room, the man covered in ruins close behind with an excited gleam in his eyes that made my stomach twist. I fought the urge to scream for Sasuke, Hinata, Naruto, or anyone that could help me because I knew it would be pointless. Knights in shining armor were only in the misleading fairytales. In reality, I was alone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The brunette with two buns looked around and voiced the question the rest of her fellow Guardians had been wondering.

"Where is the Chosen One?" she asked and her face transformed into one of worry.

"They've taken her," Sasuke said. "And while we're standing here doing nothing they're doing who-knows-what to her. And her name's Sakura, not the Chosen One."

"Sasuke, we need to rest," Hinata reasoned and wiped at the blood falling into her eyes from the cut at her hairline.

"Hinata's right," Naruto agreed and then looked at the four other Guardians. "Is there a village nearby?"

"With flight it's not too far, but you guys don't seem to have your wings yet," a man with a brunette, spiky ponytail said in a lazy voice.

"Wings?" Naruto's face lit up.

"Yeah, they come when you need them most. It differs for every person," the man explained and then plopped on the ground, earning a kick to the thigh from the blond.

Sasuke stared off towards the edge of the clearing, anger filling his veins for not having his wings now when he needed them the most to help the girl he grew up knowing he would have to protect, the girl he never thought he would come to care about, even if he refused to admit it out loud.

He stayed on the edge of the group as they did introductions. While they planned, he listened quietly, making his opinion known every now and then when he disagreed with something. His fingers drummed against his thigh and when they finally set out, he led a few feet in front.

They backtracked to where they had last seen Sakura and then followed in the direction she had gone. When they found the clearing and the dead snakes, that's where their trail went dead. In desperate need of food and rest, they made camp half a mile away.

Sasuke remained silent as they made camp. He tended his wounds, took the food Shikamaru offered him and ate it even though his stomach was in knots, and lay on the ground, staring up the sky painted pink by the setting sun while trying and failing to get some sleep before his watch shift.

He took notice of the fact that the sky was a shade darker than Sakura's hair. Without meaning to, he fell into an ocean of thoughts of Sakura. It was easy to sort between his real memories and the ones he had dreamed about from a past life. Something in him panged for he wished he had experienced them all in this life, for they seemed to be closer in their past life both emotionally and physically.

Never once did he think about their demise in the past life or that history might repeat itself. He knew things might end badly for him or her, but it had never occurred for he had been training for this mission his entire life and had truly believed he was strong enough for it. Something in him couldn't admit that he might not have been, that if Sakura died he would be to blame.

While the rest of the Guardians sat around the fire and shared stories from their sides of the portal, Tenten and Neji who took the first watch and circled the perimeter. Realizing he wouldn't fall asleep anytime soon and suddenly restless, Sasuke slipped into the surrounding trees, ignoring Neji's stare.

The ache deep in his muscles, behind his eyes, pounding in his temples did nothing to stop his whirling mind. He couldn't stop imagining what Sakura might be going through right now. Each scenario was worse than the last until his forehead rest against a tree as he fought nausea and the urge to take out his katana and cut up the trees around him.

"You can save her," someone whispered and Sasuke whipped around, his katana in his hand in a flash.

"Show yourself," he growled and watched as a man with white hair and glinting glasses that hid his eyes stepped out from behind a tree. "Who are you?"

"I'm disappointed in you Sasuke for not knowing who I am," he drawled and passed behind a tree, disappearing.

"Kabuto," Sasuke murmured, his eyes scanning the trees for signs of movement. "Back from the dead for the third time?"

Kabuto appeared behind Sasuke, clapping mockingly. "You know your history."

Spinning around, Sasuke glared at Kabuto, mirroring him move for move. He turned in a circle, ignoring the way Kabuto circled him like a predator. It didn't make him the prey, not when he was the one holding the weapon, but he wasn't stupid enough to not expect Kabuto to have something up his sleeve.

"If I recall, Sakura has died once or twice also."

"Once, unwillingly," Sasuke said and felt a shiver run down his spine at the unwanted memories racing through his head. "And the next time she dies will be from old age."

At those words Kabuto chuckled. His laughter died down until the patter of the rain created white noise between them. Finally, he said in a low tone, "For all you know she could be dead right now."

Something in Sasuke snapped and he lunged at Kabuto, avoiding anything vital and aiming for his shoulder. As he brought his katana in a downward slash, Kabuto caught it with amazing speed between his palms. He stared at Sasuke over the rims of his glasses with amusement.

With all his strength, Sasuke landed a kick to Kabuto's stomach, sending him flying backwards through the underbrush.

"Play nice or any chance you have of saving her will be gone," Kabuto warned from Sasuke's left, brushing off dirt and leaves from his cloak. He straightened his glasses and then pushed them up the bridge of his nose.

"Save her?" He knew it was a trap, but at this point they were at a dead end. The rain had ruined whatever slim chanced they had had at tracking her and he was at his breaking point.

"Join us and we'll let her go alive," he offered, his voice smooth, drawing Sasuke closer hesitantly.

"Join you and do what?"

"Nothing too bad." Kabuto shrugged, holding out a small circular disk with three black commas on it. "Kill a few people, betray others, but it'll be worth it. Sakura will live."

Sasuke stared at the three commas, watching as they start to spin, faster and faster. It burned into his mind like a brand even after he looked away. He tried to think, but the words _Sakura will live_ are the only words he could process.

Her emerald eyes took shape in his head. The rest of her face materialized and she smiled, her eyes crinkled in the corners as little wisps of hair caught the light behind her, glowing like a halo.

She's beautiful.

It wasn't the first time he had realized this or the last, but never before had he so openly admitted it or his true feelings for her. For so long he had been pushing people away, knowing they wouldn't understand how strong he had to be for himself and everyone else and somewhere along the way she had taken on the same burden. Somewhere along the way she had proven herself different from the rest and she was no longer some faceless girl he had to protect. She was his friend, his comrade, a girl he had a connection with in this life and their past life.

In his mind, the light dimed and her face fell until she was smiling sadly, like she knew something so terrible he couldn't imagine.

Sasuke opened his eyes, forgetting when he had closed them, and reached for the disk in Kabuto's hand. His fingers curled around the disk. It burned, a feeling he wasn't used to since he would control fire, but he held on and grit his teeth through the pain.

A dagger hit the ground near Sasuke's feet. Another hit his outstretched arm, making him draw back just as Hinata appeared.

"Don't," she yelled, out of breath, her katana drawn as she slid in front of him, taking a defensive position against Kabuto.

Kabuto growled, his calm mask falling away, and he flicked his cloak aside. A whip appeared in his hand, flickering like lightning.

"You've got one, too?" Ino mocked, appearing behind Sasuke and moving to stand next to Hinata, a whip of lightning in her hand. Shikamaru took his place next to Ino, and then Neji and Tenten. Each hand their weapons out, their wings out and ready for battle.

Hinata motioned for him to fall into line with her eyes.

He felt ashamed for almost falling into Kabuto's trap, all because of foolish emotions he had buried deep within and for a good reason. Without emotional ties he could make more rational decisions. At that moment he took ahold of the feelings Kabuto had evoked in him and pushed them into a steel box, hiding it away.

"The deal's off," Sasuke told Kabuto, throwing the disk at his feet.

Staring at them one at a time, Kabuto backed up, tucking away his whip and flipping up his hood. The shadows answered his wordless call, twisting around him like a second skin.

Before they could swallow Kabuto completely, Naruto appeared behind him and slammed the hilt of his katana into the back of his head. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he crumpled to the ground. Dragging him from the shadows, the Guardians took his weapons, bound and gagged him, and then stood in a circle around him, staring down at his motionless body.

Sasuke turned to Hinata. "Thanks."

Smiling shyly, she said, "We all fall off the path sometimes, even if our intentions are for the best."

"We still don't know how to find Sakura," he said.

"Don't worry, they'll come to us." Neji kicked Kabuto's shoulder, but Kabuto didn't move. "Especially when Orochimaru finds out we have his sidekick."

"You think Orochimaru's going to care that much?" Naruto asked. The fox whiskers were still visible on his cheeks, but they were fading as his power ebbed and exhaustion set in.

Sasuke looked around and saw how tired and beaten up everyone was. He felt it in his own body and knew that all they could do now was wait and hope Orochimaru cared even half as much for Kabuto as they did for Sakura.

"Kabuto is the only one who knows how to bring him back from the dead," Shikamaru muttered and plopped down on a nearby rock, making a face at Ino when she rolled her eyes at him. "What? I'm tired."

"You're always tired you lazybum," she countered, trying to hide her smirk. "So a trade off it is. One fucked up evil minion for Sakura."

"He's not going to make it that easy," Sasuke voiced, sheathing his katana but still keeping a palm on the hilt.

"We'll be lucky if we get her back alive," Neji admitted with creased eyebrows.

"Somehow I feel that will be the least of our worries," Tenten said as it started to rain lightly, making Sasuke, Hinata, and Naruto feel Sakura's absence even more with each raindrop along with the burning anger at themselves for making it so easy for Orochimaru to succeed, again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I apologize if Sasuke seems out of character. I tried to make it seem as realistic as possible, to give reason to his feelings, but this whole story has taken so long to finish that I don't even know the different between up and down in it anymore.

Thank you for reading! I'm going to try and crank out the next chapter soon but knowing my record, I can't promise anything.


	13. Thirteen

Warning: there is torture, blood, and swearing in this chapter.

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Naruto is not mine, unfortunately.

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**Enjoy**

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Orochimaru slid the dull part of the knife along my spine. It wasn't the first time and I doubted it would be the last, but I still couldn't hold back my flinch. His fingers found the strap of my tank and then he was cutting the cloth away.

When I wrapped my arms around my upper body, I got a knife hilt to the temple. I remained hunched over my scraped, bare knees, forehead pressed to my thigh as I clung for life to my tank top. He'd already gotten my pants off of me, but not without a fight that ended in a lot of swearing at him and bruises and cuts on his part. I still had enough energy to fight more and even if I didn't, I wasn't giving up that easily.

"Such lovely skin," he mused as he crouched beside me, a finger down my bare arm. He traced each dip of my spine with his nail and then moved to the lines of my unfinished tattoo. I tried to keep my body from shaking, not from cold but from fear of what he could do to me, and bit my trembling lower lip.

I felt bile in my throat when his nail traced the edge of my underwear and screamed, aiming my elbow at his face. The room echoed with the sound of skin meeting skin and I felt something crack.

Instead of groaning because I'd just broken his nose, he chuckled and stood, my tank top dangling in hand like a sad dead animal. He motioned to someone and I was yanked to my feet from behind, forced to follow Orochimaru as he led us up and up until I was out of breath and weak legged.

We came into a room with a gaping hole in the ceiling just big enough to let the moonlight come through, lighting a marble table that I knew was meant for me.

I dug my feet into the ground, feeling skin rip. Someone hit me in the back of the head, making the room swim as my knees almost gave out. The person didn't bother to pick me up and opted to drag me along the ground as I stumbled along, fingers. When I fell to a knee someone wrapped their fingers in my hair, near my skull, and forced me to my feet, yanking me along with a chuckle at my groan.

The table was freezing against my back and my wrists and ankles are chained down. My whole body was cold as ice and I couldn't help but pull at my restrains as the guy with the ruins came closer, a curved blade shining in his hand.

"Such beautiful skin," Orochimaru remarked again as he took the knife from the guy, looming over me with a smile. He ran his hand along my stomach, chuckling when I tried to twist away but ended up nearly dislocating my shoulder. "After the ceremony it'll be even more beautiful."

I didn't want to know what ceremony he was talking about. The blade cutting into my stomach cut off any thoughts I had. It hurt more than all the other times he cut me because this time he was carving something into my skin.

The runemaster put some sort of foul smelling oil on the wound when Orochimaru was done and it burned. I could've sworn whatever it was was entering into my bloodstream. It felt like someone had dumped gasoline on me and then thrown a match and ignited me from head to toe.

It was difficult to keep quiet and I clenched my jaw so hard it hurt, every muscle tense. With each press of the blade to my skin the pain flared even higher until I was begging in a haze of half consciousness. One bee sting didn't hurt, but a hundred of them did. I heard a buzzing in my ears that I soon realized was actually a ringing. I could only stare at the ceiling, too weak with all the blood sliding down my body to the table beneath. None of the carvings were healing due to the oil and I lost track of time and how much skin he'd covered.

For one moment I became lucid as Sasuke's face flashed in my mind. It gave me a small burst of energy and I struggled, feeling the blade slice through muscle and, with a stomach clenching realization, scrape bone.

"Dammit," Orochimaru exclaimed and dug his nails into my skin. "Let it heal. We need to start that one over."

After what feels like a thousand years they step away from me. My eyes fluttered as the ceiling faded, but someone slapped my cheeks to keep me on the edge of consciousness.

Orochimaru shrugged off his robe and I gasped at the runes running down his body, dried blood indicating they were fresh. I wondered if they looked like my own or if they were different, but mainly, I wanted to know what they were for. My gut, under all the pain, was telling me something very bad was about to happen.

Chanting started and I could've sworn the moonlight was searing into my skin like acid. Light caught my attention and I stared down at the carvings in my skin, watching with wide eyes as the wounds glowed like there was light trying to escape in my veins.

Tears ran from the corners of my eyes as the air left my lungs, but that wasn't all. Little orbs of light left my wounds, clinging to the surface of my body and dragging me upward until I was hovering, held down only by my bonds. My back hit the table with a teeth-jarring force as the orbs detached with one loud word from the runemaster. They floated above my body and I wanted to reached out and grab them all, force them back into my body because without them it felt like something was missing. Like I'd just lost an arm or leg and now had the feeling of a phantom limb.

Orochimaru stepped closer and reached slowly for one. I flinched when his finger brushed it, relief coursing through me when nothing happened. It was like they were opposite magnets, the orb bouncing away from his skin.

"Fix it," Orochimaru demanded and the runemaster's chanting grew louder, his voice scratching my skin with each word. The room shook and then I realized that it was my body shaking with sobs. Through his chanting he nodded at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru went to touch it again and this time the orb didn't resist. The moment he touched it, it bound up his skin and entered one of the carvings, the rest following suit until his entire body seemed to be glowing. Slowly his skin started to heal until every mark was gone.

I didn't need to be told to know what had just happened. Tears wet my cheeks and I turned my face away so Orochimaru wouldn't have another reason to mock me. I watched the runemaster turn away, rubbing at his temples slowly in one moment of exhaustion before straightening and heading out of the room. I wanted to scream in frustration for being so helpless and unable to do anything as a snake of water curled up my body and choked me.

My vision started to go black in the corners and I tried to curl away from Orochimaru like that would do anything. There were rapid footsteps and the pressure on my neck disappeared, allowing me to gasp air into my burning lungs.

"Sire, they've captured Kabuto," the runemaster appeared just behind Orochimaru, his eyes flickering over me in mild disinterest unlike Orochimaru's own eyes. I was nothing now. My powers were gone, leaving me with mere strength in a world where people dominated with the special skill they were born with.

"They want a trade-off," Orochimaru guessed and my stomach jolted with hope but then I saw his leering grin. I closed my eyes, but it didn't hide the scrape of his nails down my arm, smearing blood and making me groan in pain and disgust. Each touch of his felt like a million spiders crawling on my skin. I fought the bonds again, ignoring the way Orochimaru grinned in amusement at my useless efforts.

Orochimaru pulled away and lifted his head, his eyes directed at the ceiling window, but glazed over in thought. "Tomorrow morning. I sense a storm coming."

He turned to me as his eyes cleared. The bonds loosened and he pulled me up. The world spun in lightheadedness as I looked down at the blood under me. There was so much of it it had started to run over the sides and to the floor. "As for you. Best that we make the most of our remaining time together."

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13.

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_There's a warm light behind my eyelids, like a match is just on the other side. But when I wake, it's just the fireplace burning my front side endlessly._

_"Did you have a nice rest, blossom?" a deep voice asked behind me mockingly. "I made sure you were all nice and warm."_

_"When he finds you, he's going to kill you," I said with a hoarse voice. I tried to lick my dry lips, but my tongue was like sandpaper. My whole body felt like a desert. What I would do for a drink of water._

_Orochimaru's face appeared in the corner of my eye. On second thought, nevermind._

_His teeth shone bone white in the firelight and he didn't seemed fazed by the heat. His eyes slid down my almost naked body with barely concealed excitement and then he disappeared behind me. One of his fingernails ran along the back of my neck, scratching almost hard enough to draw blood around one vertebra before moving to the next._

_I flinched forward, leaning as far as I could from his touch._

_"Don't touch me," I warned, swiveling my head around to try and see him. It wasn't hard for he came around to stand in front of me. While I didn't want him here, he blocked the heat from my body and immediately I felt better. _

_"I don't think you're in the position to be giving orders," he said with a chuckle as he crouched down in front of me. The angle brought the fire directly behind him and his face became blocked out with shadows so that I could only see his glinting eyes. His hand rose, one fingertip hovering just above my shoulder as he waited for me to try and get away._

_I knew it was all a game to him. To see how uncomfortable he could make me just so he could go even further and prove that he was in control. I kept my body still, grit my teeth, and stared to the side._

_His finger touched my shoulder and then ran across my collarbone millimeter by millimeter. I could feel the sweat running down my spine, not just from the heat now but also from nervousness. I could fight him all I wanted, in whatever way, but in the end he was still in control and could do whatever I wanted._

Sasuke, hurry_, I whispered in my head, but it became louder until it was a roar that blocked out the rest of my surroundings. At least, it did until I felt Orochimaru's finger run down my sternum and between my breasts._

_I screamed and the chair shook as I tried to lean back, but I couldn't escape his touch. He only stopped because my bra was in the way and I fought back tears and bile as he lifted his finger to his smirking mouth and licked at my sweat gathered on his skin._

_There was a noticeable shift from taunting to seriousness as he said, "I've waited so long for this."_

_My body shook as he unchained me and I tried to get away but ended up on my knees. He dragged me along, my legs too weak to carry myself. I pulled at his grip, earning a smack to the face that sent me sprawling on the floor. Iron filled my mouth and I spit the blood at Orochimaru's feet._

_Fingers in my hair urged me to my feet with a sharp yank. I clawed at his wrist, my body shaking as we entered a room with a single stone table in the middle. A large circular window in the ceiling brought in a single beam of light down, illuminating the table to the color of fresh snow. _

_Orochimaru threw me onto it. The surface was as cold as ice and I tried to roll off the other side, away from him, but there was a man standing there blocking my path. Runes covered every inch of skin visible and I recognized some of them. I knew exactly who he was, had been warned of him from Tsunade. As a runemaster, he was able to do many things. I had no idea why he was here, but then Orochimaru lifted a knife and I knew he was here to keep me alive and in as much pain as possible._

_"No." I bit my lips to hide the way they wobbled. "I won't tell you anything."_

_"Don't worry," Orochimaru said as he let his finger travel down my outer thigh, licking his lips when I pulled away with a grimace. "If this doesn't work, I've got a backup plan."_

_I closed my eyes as the man started to chant in an ancient language. Something cold touched my skin and then as it pressed harder, drawing blood. The cold transformed to a burning pain and I clenched my teeth, holding back all noise. _

_"You can scream, I don't mind," Orochimaru crooned in a soft voice. My eyes fluttered to him and I saw the dark look on his face and turned my head towards the ceiling. The light blurred my vision or maybe it was the tears. My wounds didn't close like they normally did and I was grateful even if it did mean more pain. They couldn't find out, no matter what._

_A high-pitched scream filled my eyes and I knew it was mine, but I was slowly fading into unconsciousness. I welcomed it and the numbing of the pain it brought, but the runemaster noticed the way my muscles started to relax and started chanting again as his hand settled on my forehead. _

_The world settled back into focus and I groaned as the pain came back like a hard punch to the stomach. _

_"Can't sleep yet, my sweet blossom," Orochimaru said as his face appeared above me. He lifted the blade for me to see. It was covered in blood. How much blood had I lost? How long had he been at it? It felt like hours, but it could've only been minutes for all I knew._

_"Not until you tell me where it is." Orochimaru settled the knife back against my skin and let it pierce deep, a warning that he'd continue, but this time far worse. "Come on sweetheart, where is it?"_

_I smiled at him as though saying 'do your worse' even though I wasn't even entirely sure I could handle whatever he had in mind. Even then, I couldn't tell him or else I'd die and then everyone else would, at the hand of my power. The power I was meant to protect._

_The blade hit bone and I screamed loud enough that I swore the ceiling window would shatter. Somehow I managed to turn my head back upwards and noticed a small dot getting closer to the window. And then it was raining glass and a familiar pair of black wings was filling my vision as strong arms picked me up._

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Sasuke shifted from foot to foot, thumb running along the top of his hilt. It'd been nearly a two days since capturing Kabuto and he was about to go crazy with this whole patience bullshit.

He knew before he saw them that they were here. Kabuto started to chuckle and Sasuke delivered a sharp kick to the back of his knee, bringing him to the ground.

A hooded figure came into view across the stream, appearing from the shadows of dusk. Behind him stumbled another hooded figure, their footsteps unsure like they didn't know where they were going. They were limping, their figure hunched over and shaking even though the air was warm.

He watched with a chill running down his spine as the first figure pulled back his hood, revealing Orochimaru's pale face and grin. He looked Sasuke in the eye as he clutched the back of the other hooded figure's neck, keeping them from pulling away as he leaned closer.

The person struggled and Orochimaru whispered something to them. Both of them knew it was Sakura at that point and it took everything in Sasuke not to chop off Orochimaru's arm for touching her, and then his head for everything else he could've possibly done to her. Bile rose in his throat and he prayed to whoever was listening that that sick fuck hadn't done his worst.

And then Orochimaru was yanking off the person's cloak and Sasuke got his answer. There she stood, her whole body covered in rivulets of blood and spotted with bruises in only a blood, sweat, and dirt stained bra and underwear, a blindfold covering her eyes as she fought the ropes binding her arms behind her back. Her lips were set in a hard line even though every inch of her skin was covered in markings.

The sight of her made him afraid to know what had happened. His knuckles turned white on his hilt as he watched Orochimaru go behind her, caressing her blood arms and taking one last inhale of her scent.

After what felt like an eternity Orochimaru shoved her forward. She stumbled along, her body jerking with shivers as she walked, unsteady as she passed over branches and dips in the ground.

Sasuke had to fight every fiber of his being to not run to her as she reached the stream, falling to her knees at the unexpected change. He faintly wondered how she hadn't sensed the water, hadn't used it to her advantage, but shoved it away when he felt something on his cheek, something wet.

A rain shower started weakly and then picked up. It didn't stop Sakura, even as her shoulders started to shake with sobs as she got up and continued walking. She picked up speed, whispering something weakly.

Sasuke strained his ears as he took a step forward and then another. He started to run and the closer he got, the more audible her words became and he realized she was saying the same word over and over again.

"Run," she said. "Run. Run. Run."

Finally she climbed out of the stream, coming close enough to where he could sigh with relief and say that he safely had her. She seemed to sense it for he reached her just as she went down. He tore the blindfold off, cut the rope around her wrists, and lifted her into his arms, turning away from Orochimaru's crazed eyes as she relaxed, knowing she was safe. Her eyes were tired and glazed. She looked like she hadn't slept in a few days. Or eaten, Sasuke decided upon examining her body quickly, his stomach rolling at all the dried blood and even some fresh blood that still seeped from the runes.

"Run," she demanded, finding enough energy to clutch at his rain soaked shirt in fear.

"I've got you," he murmured to her, pulling her closer to his chest. He nodded at Neji and Naruto as he approached them. "You're safe now."

"You don't understand," she whimpered into his collarbone. "We have to get out of here. He—"

Neji and Naruto let go of Kabuto and he stepped towards Orochimaru with a smirk just as lightning flashed across the sky.

"Perfect timing," Kabuto shouted over the thunder.

With a chilling laugh Orochimaru lifted both hands towards the sky. Nothing happened at first until the Guardians noticed the rain slowing like hands on a clock coming to a slow halt.

Hinata watched as a raindrop hovered right before her left eye. It vibrated like a machine being turned on and then hit her in the cheek. She winced, feeling the skin with her finger before pulling it back with a spot of blood.

No one had to say anything for the Guardians to scatter. They split off in different directions and fled into the woods. But Naruto went straight for Kabuto with a red tint in his eyes. Hinata looked over her shoulder, wincing as more of the rain left beads of blood rather than bruises. She yelled his name over the storm, tearing wet hair out of her eyes.

Kabuto didn't get far before Naruto swiped his head clean off his shoulders.

"Go to hell!" he roared over the thunder, the head rolling under a bush with blood spurting from the neck. Hinata pulled on his arm with effort, slightly scared at the canine grin he gave her, before they caught up to Sasuke, flanking each side.

When they made it far enough so that the rain fell naturally, they started to zigzag, taking more care in masking their trail. Sasuke's only goal was to keep Sakura away from that monster. His grip tightened and in a moment emotion he swore he would never let her go.

Ino and Shikamaru suddenly dropped from the sky, landing with a thud in front of them. Ino's wings were a brilliant yellow like the sun and the markings on her arms were glowing as she kept the lightning from coming near them. Shikamaru's wings were dark like the shadows and he held out his hands, eyeing Sasuke with a lazy expectation.

"Give Sakura to us. We can get her back to the village faster than you can," Ino said.

Sasuke refused, partially because irrationality was taking over and also because Sakura's hands were clinging to his shirt for dear life. It took Naruto and Shikamaru to wrestle her from his arms. He watched stiffly as Ino and Shikamaru pushed off the ground and disappeared above the tree line.

"Orochimaru shouldn't be able to control water," he said to distract themselves as he, Naruto, and Hinata took off running for the village. "What the _fuck_ did he do?"

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I was afraid to open my eyes because I wasn't sure where I'd find myself. My whole body ached and I knew the past...however long it'd been, wasn't a nightmare. Everything was a blur in my head, focusing at moments where I'd had total clarity and then fading as I gave into the pain.

If there was one thing I knew for sure, it was that my powers were gone. I remembered watching Orochimaru touch the glowing orb over my body with a triumphant grin. And then whatever happened after that became a haze of pain and blood tinged air.

My body jerked with the memory of him wrapping an orb of ice-cold water around me, trapping me until I nearly passed out from hypothermia and suffocation. He'd proceeded to warm me up by doing the same with boiling water.

After that were more fuzzy memories. Everything was black, but there were sounds and smells and people talking. I was one of them, telling people to run. Then brightness as a blindfold was lifted and a glimpse of Sasuke's face before chaos. The next time I'd opened my eyes, I'd been in the clouds, high above the treetops. It would've been beautiful if I wasn't so broken. But it wasn't like the dream I'd had of my past. In my past life Sasuke had saved me just in time before Orochimaru figured things out.

I fought back tears and froze when I felt someone shift behind me. Their arm tightened around my waist, secure but gentle. Warm breath hit the back of my neck and my eyes shot open, blind to my surroundings because at this point I had no idea what was going on and the only person I could imagine behind me was Orochimaru. As far as I knew he hadn't gotten what he wanted, but for all I knew I could've passed out, dreamed everything I thought had happened after he'd taken my powers, and while doing so he'd violated me. I panicked.

"Fuck," a deep voice grunted as I elbowed the person in the ribs with enough force for them to loosen their hold. I rolled away even though moving hurt every cut on my body, off the side of the bed, and pressed my back against the wall. With fists raised, I watched in both horror and relief as Sasuke's head popped up.

"Sakura," he whispered in a soothing voice like I was some rabid animal. He slid to the edge of the bed and then down onto his knees in front of me. His movement was slow like would bolt and a part of me wanted to. I'd failed to protect the Holy Grail. Everything my past self had sacrificed had been wasted. I was nothing now and I deserved the pain coursing through my body as punishment for being so weak.

"They're gone," I whimpered and my fingers went to my hairline, clutching at the roots like it would erase the horrifying memories.

Sasuke must've seen the way I was about to cry because he gave up trying to keep his distance and pulled me to him. Before long the front of his shirt was soaked with my tears, but he didn't pull away like I expected him to do. As far as I knew, he hated physical contact. This was a first and deep inside I hoped it wasn't a last.

After my sobbing had quieted down, he asked, "Your powers?"

I nodded and curled into a ball in his lap, relishing in the way his arms felt around me. He always managed to make the rest of the world fall away and that's exactly what I needed right now. I wanted to forget and for this little moment I could.

He rocked us back and forth and I felt my body sag with exhaustion as my eyes dried up. Carefully he moved us back onto the bed. Now that I knew it was him, I let him to pull me closer to his side. I would never have guessed Sasuke liked to cuddle, but maybe my tears had softened him enough to allow it just this once. Another first. Knowing this was probably a one-time thing, I threw my arm across his chest, clutching the fabric at his side because deep down I didn't want him to leave.

We may not have the same relationship that we did in the past, but there was still a connection between us and he made me feel safe. He gave me strength, whether it was by pissing me off or supporting me. And right now, I needed all the strength I could get. Tough times were ahead for all of us.

I awoke again to Sasuke unwrapping the bandages around my left thigh. He glanced up at me in acknowledgement that I was awake and then went back to work. He spread a green tinted ointment on each rune, bruise, and burn carefully, moving from my outer knee then upward towards my hip. I suddenly realized that I was only wearing an oversized shirt and fought the blush brightening my face. When his hand pushed up the shirt to get at the top of my upper thigh, my body jerked in surprise at the brush of his fingertips against my skin.

Sasuke's movements stilled and he looked up at me from under his eyelashes, his jaw clenched. "He didn't...touch you, did he?"

"No! At least, I don't think so." I swallowed thickly, my hands clenching hard enough for my nails to bite into my palms. "There weren't any signs that he did, were there?"

He shook his head and went back to what he was doing. I noticed his shoulders sag in relief. "The medics didn't see any."

"Thank God," I said and let my head fall back against the pillow. I stared at the ceiling and felt his hand wrap around the back of my knee, urging me to lift my leg. With him touching me, even in an innocent, necessary way, it heightened all of my senses. My toes curled when I felt his breath slide up my inner thigh. Then he was lowering my leg and his fingers were where his breath had been. It was an odd sensation, his warm breath and the cold ointment, his gentle but firm touch.

My breathing picked up. Each press of his fingers made my heart stutter as electricity jolted from his touch straight to my core. Not that it was that far a journey, I thought as my eyes rolled back into my head. His fingers were at the hem of my panties and my back arched slightly before I caught myself.

"Sakura?" The bed dipped and Sasuke's face appeared above my own. "I can stop if it hurts."

He couldn't be _that _oblivious, could he? Then again, I was grateful he was because this was too embarrassing. I shook my head and felt my clenched stomach relax as he started bandaging up my thigh. He moved down to my lower leg and this time it was more bearable, probably because I wasn't about to have a fucking orgasm just from his touch alone. His fingers were secure on my ankle and I shivered.

This was wrong. I couldn't deal with this on top of everything else. Even if I'd had feelings for him before this nightmare, he was unpredictable and I couldn't add heartbreak to my growing list of problems. Not that the word 'problem' came anywhere close to describing my ordeal.

When he moved to my other thigh I did a lot better at controlling my body. I counted down from a thousand as his fingers moved along my skin, only feeling a rush of desire every now and then.

Were there really that many marks? I looked down at my legs to confirm that yes there were, unable to remember how long it'd taken Orochimaru because the whole thing had felt like an eternity. I just wanted them to heal and to forget it had happened, even if the absence of my powers would always remind me. Or better yet, I wanted to kill Orochimaru.

Sasuke moved and then I snapped my eyes away because his head was basically _between_ my thighs and it was bringing other dirtier images to mind. What number was I on again?

He called my name and I snapped out of my counting at 528.

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" he repeated, putting the ointment and bandages on the side table. He sensed something was off and surveyed me.

I flashed him a small smile to reassure him and shrugged. "Only a little, but nothing I can't handle." I rung my hands together, nervous at the answer I'd get to my next question. "They'll heal, right?"

Sasuke paused and stuck his hands in his pockets. "The medics think so, but when you deal with dark power like that, you never know. They did everything they could, getting the poison out of your bloodstream and making that special balm to help."

I sighed and pulled my legs up to my chest, letting my forehead fall against my knee. Only time would tell. The thought put my stomach in knots. "How long was I out?"

"Four days."

I nodded and we fell into silence. I wondered if he'd been with me the entire time. It seemed like every time I'd woken up someone had been there, hovering in the corner of my vision. I'd forgotten about it until now, but if I had to guess, I'd say it was Sasuke.

"Are you hungry?" Sasuke asked. I nodded, figuring after four days some food would probably be a good idea. I watched his back as he left the room. He'd barely been gone two minutes when a beautiful blond came into the room, closing the door behind her quietly like she wasn't supposed to be there. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint from where.

"Hello," I said awkwardly as she stood there staring at me with wide eyes.

There was a flash of pain in her eyes and then she brushed it away with a flip of her blond ponytail and said, "I'm Ino, one of your Guardians."

"Sakura," I said even though I figured she already knew who I was. I swallowed thickly, forcing my body to remain calm even though there was a lump of tears coming up my throat. Would I ever get over losing my powers? "You're not my Guardian anymore."

Ino looked away, rubbing at one arm with the other. Her voice was wobbly with tears when she said, "I'm so sorry. It was my duty to protect you from exactly _that _and I failed. It's all my fault."

I did the one thing most inappropriate at a time like this, I laughed. Ino looked at me with confusion and surprise on her face. I held up a hand and explained, "And here I was tearing myself apart because I thought it was my fault. It seems everyone is blaming himself or herself. Maybe..." I paused, swallowing the lump down with renewed strength, my back straightening, "we should blame the actual person at fault."

"Orochimaru," Ino said. I nodded. She pounded her fist into her palm and grinned. "Wait till I get my hands on him, Forehead."

I froze, narrowing my eyes at her as my hand flew to my forehead. My wide forehead had always been a sore subject for me. "What'd you call me?"

Her eyes widened and she held up her hands in defense. "I-It just slipped out. I used to call you—your old self that." She tapped her chin in thought. "I thought you had dreams of your past before you...died."

"Not of that," I said and immediately felt bad at the way her face fell. "Were we good friends?"

"Best friends," she whispered and I noticed the way her shoulders caved in a little in disappointment.

"Well who's to say we won't be again?" I reassured her with a smile. "Although I should probably think about it if I'm going to be friends with someone as big as you." I clapped a hand over my mouth in shock. I wasn't even sure where that'd come from.

Ino's glared at me. "At least I fit in the mirror, unlike your forehead."

We gave each other the evil eye for a moment before breaking out laughing. "Who's to say we won't be again," Ino repeated, wiping at her eyes with a grin just as the door opened and Sasuke appeared with a plate of food, one eyebrow raised as he looked between the two of them as though they'd lost their minds.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So I decided to take out the Greek as chapter names. I realized I was in way over my head and that even with the use of a translator program I could still be wrong, so I got rid of them. Currently I'm going through and changing some of the format in terms of dreams being in italics, so if you notice a difference it's that. I may have also added/edited/proofread so there may be new things and fixed errors too! Yay!

I know this story has been a long time coming. It was published almost 6 years ago and I'm still working on it. I won't stop though until it's finished. I usually tend to have problems finishing things I've started, but I'm trying to break that habit so reviews are encouraged to keep me going and give me inspiration!

Thank you for everyone for reading!


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